Court of Appeal restores Accord Party and four others on INEC register

The Court of Appeal has restored Accord Party and four others to the INEC register, overturning a Federal High Court judgment. This ruling is hailed as a t Read More: https://punchng.com/accord-hails-court-ruling-restoring-party-four-others-to-inec-register/

The national leadership of the Accord Party has welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision to overturn a Federal High Court ruling that had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party along with four others. In a statement issued late on Tuesday night, Accord National Chairman Maxwell Mgbudem described the appellate court's unanimous verdict as a major victory for democracy, the rule of law, and due process. He said the ruling has restored public confidence in the judiciary and strengthened the foundations of Nigeria’s multi-party system. “The appellate court verdict is a victory for democracy, the rule of law and due process. It has restored sanity in the ongoing electoral process and justified the confidence Nigerians reposed in the judiciary as the temple of justice and the last hope of all aggrieved citizens,” Mgbudem stated. He added that the judgment serves as “sweet music” to supporters of representative governance and a clear warning that anti-democratic forces will not prevail when citizens defend their rights. The Accord Party had challenged the Federal High Court proceedings even before the initial judgment was delivered. The party thanked Nigerians for their condemnation of what it called judicial recklessness and reaffirmed its commitment to advancing democratic values. On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja set aside the Federal High Court’s earlier order directing INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Peoples Party (APP). A three-member panel led by Justice Abba Mohammed ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction because the suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, an entity the appellate court determined was not a juristic person capable of suing. The Court of Appeal further held that no competent suit existed to justify the deregistration order. It also criticized the Federal High Court for proceeding despite an earlier directive to stay proceedings pending appeal. As a result, the legal status of all five political parties has been fully restored, clearing the way for their participation in upcoming elections, including off-cycle polls and the 2027 general elections. This development has been broadly welcomed by opposition figures and parties affected by the initial ruling.