The Court of Appeal in Abuja has vacated the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties accused of failing to meet constitutional requirements.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, held that the order which the Federal High Court issued to the electoral body on June 15 amounted to a nullity.

It held that the high court wrongly assumed jurisdiction and made the order on an incompetent suit that was filed by a non-juristic entity.

According to the appellate court, there was no valid suit that could have warranted the consequential order that directed INEC to derecognise the political parties.

It noted that the trial court failed to properly evaluate evidence placed before it, stressing that proof that the parties won various seats in previous elections was ignored.

It also held that the high court acted in defiance of an order that directed it to stay proceedings in the case.

It held that the high court ought to have dismissed the substantive case for want of jurisdiction and merit.

Consequently, the appellate court, in its lead judgment delivered by Justice Abba Mohammed, held that all the affected political parties remained duly registered.

It allowed separate appeals filed by the political parties and awarded monetary costs against the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which had filed the case against them.

Aside from the ADC, the other parties whose registration the appellate court restored are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

It will be recalled that the appellate court had, on June 16, ordered a stay of execution of the High Court judgment, even as it slammed the trial judge for disregarding the judicial hierarchy.

The panel berated Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for disobeying an order it had made on May 22 directing him to stay proceedings in the case pending the outcome of an appeal by the parties.

It noted that even though the trial judge’s attention had been drawn to the order for a stay of proceedings, he intentionally flouted it and went ahead to deliver judgment.

It held that Justice Lifu’s action was “a form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acts in such a manner “is unfit for the bench, as the conduct amounts to judicial rascality”.

It will be recalled that the High Court had directed INEC to deregister the five political parties, which it said had failed to meet the constitutional requirements needed to warrant their continued existence and participation in future elections.

It also barred INEC from according further recognition to the parties, accepting nominations of candidates from the affected parties, or giving effect to their activities for purposes of participating in the 2027 general elections.

Justice Lifu ordered the defendants to stop parading themselves as registered political parties in the country, saying he found merit in the suit filed by the NFFL.

The NFFL had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.

It was the plaintiffs’ position that the five political parties listed as defendants had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.

The former legislators stressed that the requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of the votes in a state during a presidential election, or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.

They told the court that the ADC and the four other parties had performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and the by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.

The litigants insisted that the continued existence of the ADC and the other defendants as recognised political parties is unlawful and undermines the integrity of the country’s electoral system.

Notably, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who is also a defendant in the matter, threw his weight behind the plaintiffs.

In processes filed before the court, the AGF argued that the continued existence of the said political parties violates extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and ultimately undermines the nation’s electoral integrity.

The AGF argued that unless the court intervened, INEC would continue to act in breach of its constitutional duty by retaining parties that had failed to meet the minimum requirements prescribed by law.

However, dissatisfied with the trial court’s verdict, all the defendants, including INEC, have urged the appellate court to set it aside.

…Stakeholders, community leaders queue behind Mbah, Tinubu, APC candidates

The tour of the 17 Local Government Areas (LGA) of Enugu State by the G-17 For Peter Mbah, a grassroots political mobilization group, came to a historic and colourful conclusion, weekend, as political leaders, party stakeholders, community leaders and teeming supporters trouped out in their thousands for the grand finale.

The event, which took place at the Nkanu East Local Government headquarters, Amagunze, also marked the conclusion of the inauguration of the movement’s 17 Local Government Executives, 260 Ward Executives and Polling Unit Canvassers across Enugu State.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Council, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, described G-17 as a foremost political support group in Enugu State, commending what he described as the group’s unmatched record of grassroots mobilization and candidates’ delivery.

Hon. Edeh, who doubles as the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Enugu State, disclosed that all 17 Council Chairmamen in the state had embraced G-17’s model of mobilisation and assured that both himself and his successor would continue working closely with the movement to secure Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s reelection.

“As ALGON Chairman in Enugu State, I can confidently say G-17 has distinguished itself as a premier grassroots political support group in Enugu State. The structure, discipline and organisation we have witnessed across the 17 LGAs are remarkable.

“I will hand over office in September, but I will not hand over my commitment to Governor Peter Mbah. Together with my successor, we shall continue working with G-17 to ensure that Nkanu East exceeds the votes recorded in the 2023 election and delivers Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all APC candidates come 2027,” he declared.

Citing Mbah’s numerous achievements in just three years, Hon. Edeh assured that Nkanu East had already lined up behind their performing governor and son.

“Nkanu East has already been converted. Nobody needs to tell us to vote for our performing son. We are prepared, we are waiting and we shall reward him with overwhelming votes,” he said.

He further revealed that Governor Peter Mbah’s transformational leadership inspired his own administration to embark on landmark projects, including the ongoing 200,000-capacity ultra-modern civic hall, over 13 kilometres of road, the completion of the Ugbawka-Nara Bridge, and several development projects spread across the 14 political wards of the local government.

In his remarks, Member representing Nkanu East State Constituency, Hon. Okey Mbah, described Governor Peter Mbah as the best Governor around and commended the Convener and BOT Chairman of G-17, Chief Chinedu Mbah, and his team for setting up a genuine and organic grassroots mobilisation for the governor’s reelection.

The APC Chairmanship Candidate for Nkanu East LGA, Engr. Mike Ogbuekwe, thanked the Convener for restoring G-17 to its original vision and purpose.

“The movement has returned to the hands of those who understand its purpose. What I have seen today confirms that G-17 is a truly grassroots-based political structure. I assure you that when elected, my administration will work closely with G-17 to ensure total victory for APC in 2027,” he pledged.

Also speaking, the Personal Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State and President of Tomorrow Is Here Movement (THM), Tony Okonkwo, commended G-17’s leadership for what he described as excellent grassroots political engineering.

“What G-17 is doing is commendable. Looking at this structure, I am convinced that the victory of APC candidates in 2027 is already assured.”

The Enugu State APC Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, represented by the State Organising Secretary, Engr. Onyi Odibe; Deputy State Chairman, Peace Patrick; State Woman Leader, Mrs. Esther Edeh; and the South-East APC Women Leader, Dr. Oby Ajih, among others, commended leaders of G-17 for the great job done, saying Enugu is now eager to vote Mbah and APC back into power come 2027.

Delivering the keynote address, the Convener, Chief Chinedu Mbah, reminded the newly inaugurated executives that their inauguration represented a call to service rather than a ceremonial event.

“You have accepted responsibility. Your assignment begins immediately. Move from polling unit to polling unit, ward to ward and community to community, informing our people about the achievements of Governor Peter Mbah and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Victory is built from the grassroots,” he charged them.

The ceremony climaxed with the inauguration of the Nkanu East Local Government Executives, Ward Executives and Polling Unit Canvassers, who pledged to immediately commence intensive grassroots mobilisation across the 14 political wards of Nkanu East in preparation for the 2027 general election.

• One casualty recorded, three hospitalized

The Anambra State Government has sealed the site of the collapsed building at Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.

‎Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barr. Chijioke Ojukwu announced immediate closure of the site pending comprehensive investigations and structural integrity assessments.

He said preliminary findings indicated structural failure as the likely cause of the collapse.

While reaffirming government commitment to stricter enforcement of physical planning regulations and the elimination of unsafe construction practices, Ojukwu vowed that the incident would mark a turning point in enforcement of building regulations across the state.

He assured that owners and developers of defective or non-compliant structures would face sanctions, while ongoing projects would undergo stricter inspections.

‎‎On his part, Commissioner for Works, Arc. Okey Ezeobi, said technical investigations were ongoing to determine exact cause of the collapse.

He added that government had engaged a team of professionals to carry out a comprehensive structural evaluation.

‎‎Recommendations will be implemented

He assured residents that government would implement recommendations from the investigation to strengthen the state’s building control system.

Implementation will also prevent future occurrences while ensuring prosecution of culprits in accordance with the law.

‎‎The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, said government immediately deployed medical personnel and ambulances to the scene to provide emergency care for the injured, while the Ministry of Health worked closely with other emergency response agencies throughout the rescue operation.

‎‎Obidike commended the swift and coordinated response of the Anambra State Government and emergency agencies, describing it as crucial to the rescue efforts and timely medical treatment of victims.

‎‎The Mayor of Orumba North Local Government Area, Rtd. Captain. Casmir Nwafor, praised the rapid intervention of the state government and emergency responders, noting that their coordinated efforts helped contain the situation and minimize further risks.

‎‎Nwafor urged developers, property owners, institutions, and residents to comply strictly with approved building regulations and safety standards, reaffirming the local government’s support for the enforcement of physical planning laws.

‎Running to safety

‎Eyewitnesses, Prince Ifeanyi Ezefunamba said the building, reportedly occupied by students of Federal Polytechnic Oko, collapsed at about 10:00 p.m. after occupants heard cracking sounds and evacuated.

One survivor, Miss Chioma Akabike narrowly escaped moments before the collapse, while rescue operations commenced immediately.

‎‎Also present during the inspection were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) headed by the Enugu State Head of Operations, Mrs. Priscilla Mbaekwe, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

Others include: the Anambra State Fire Service, and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), who participated in rescue, security, and preliminary technical assessments.

‎‎As of the time of filing this report, one fatality had been confirmed, while three injured victims were receiving treatment at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) and St. Michael’s Hospital, Oko, as rescue operations continued.