Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned proceedings in a suit seeking the deregistration of several political parties over alleged constitutional violations.
The case, filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), targets the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance (AA), citing alleged breaches of Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution.
The court fixed May 5 for hearing after granting the plaintiffs leave to amend their originating summons to formally include additional parties accused of similar infractions.
The NFFL had requested the amendment, arguing that all affected political parties must be properly joined in the suit to ensure fairness and completeness of proceedings.
In a brief ruling, Justice Lifu directed all parties yet to respond to the amended summons to do so without delay, stressing that the matter is both time-sensitive and of significant public interest.
He noted that with party primaries approaching ahead of the 2027 general elections, there is urgency in resolving the case.
Consequently, the court ordered all parties to file necessary processes before May 1 and adjourned the matter to May 5 for substantive hearing.
In the main suit, the plaintiffs are urging the court to invoke relevant provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules to grant their request in the interest of justice.
However, the application has been challenged by the ADC, which argued that the suit is legally defective and should not be entertained.
The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory orders compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enforce constitutional requirements governing political parties.
They also requested mandatory and perpetual injunctions restraining INEC from recognising or validating the activities of the affected parties until they fully comply with the law.
According to the plaintiffs, allowing the parties to participate in the 2027 general elections would overcrowd ballot papers, waste public resources, and potentially undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
