A Federal High Court in Abuja postponed judgment on Friday in a case challenging the registration status of several political parties. Justice Peter Lifu had scheduled the ruling for that day but couldn't proceed.
The Accord Party obtained a stay of proceedings from the Court of Appeal on May 29. That order halted everything in its tracks.
At Friday's sitting, court officials announced the judgment was being delayed indefinitely. A fresh date would be communicated later, they said.
The National Forum of Former Legislators filed the original suit seeking to deregister the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Alliance, and other political parties. INEC was named as the first defendant.
Raphael Igbokwe chairs the forum's Board of Trustees. He expressed his frustration with the Appeal Court's decision to grant the stay.
"A matter which had reached the stage of judgment has now been stalled," Igbokwe told reporters. "In practical terms, it amounts to an arrest of judgment."
Igbokwe noted that his organization had already filed an appeal at the Supreme Court. They're challenging the stay order directly.
Despite the setback, he insisted the forum remained determined. "We remain committed to pursuing all lawful avenues to ensure that the issues raised in this case are resolved," he said.
According to him, the forum wants to strengthen Nigeria's democracy through this legal action. It also aims to advance constitutional and electoral jurisprudence in the country.
The lawsuit is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026. Multiple political parties joined as defendants alongside INEC.
The forum's central argument is straightforward: these parties failed to meet constitutional requirements. Electoral spread and performance standards weren't satisfied, it contends.
Under electoral law, political parties must secure at least 25 percent of votes in prescribed elections to maintain registration. None of the defendant parties achieved this threshold, the plaintiff argued.
Igbokwe maintained that his organization's actions weren't politically motivated. They were designed to deepen democratic governance, he emphasized.
He also stressed the importance of developing Nigeria's constitutional and electoral law framework. Such development benefits the nation's democratic institutions, he noted.
The defendants haven't successfully countered the forum's arguments, according to the plaintiff's position. The evidence speaks for itself, the organization contends.
With the case now stalled at the appellate level, observers await the Supreme Court's decision on the stay. Political parties facing deregistration remain in legal limbo.
