Nigerian Court of Appeal restores registration of five parties

A Nigerian appellate court has overturned a lower court's order to deregister five political parties, ruling that the original case was invalid and the trial judge improperly ignored a superior court's directive. The Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered the unanimous judgment on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, restoring the full legal status of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party.

The three-member appellate panel, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, set aside the June 15, 2026, judgment from Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court. That ruling had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds following the 2023 general elections. The lower court had also barred INEC from recognizing the parties or accepting their candidates for future polls, including the 2027 general elections.

The Court of Appeal found two fundamental flaws in the lower court proceedings. First, it ruled that the lawsuit was initiated by an entity, the National Forum of Former Legislators, which lacked the legal standing, or locus...