A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application to halt proceedings in a lawsuit seeking the deregistration of four political parties. The court also set May 15 as the hearing date for a separate suit aiming to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Deregistration Suit Details
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators through their counsel, Yakubu Ruba (SAN). It targets the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches. The defendants include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
During proceedings, Ruba opposed efforts by the defendants to suspend the hearing, arguing that pending appeals were interlocutory and did not prevent the trial court from proceeding. However, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), counsel for the 6th defendant, urged the court to stay proceedings, citing that applications had been lodged before the appellate court. He argued that settled Supreme Court authority bars a lower court from entertaining issues already presented to a higher court.
Justice Lifu declined the request for a stay, noting that the matter had been placed on accelerated hearing due to its urgency and public importance. INEC's counsel, Haliru Mohammed, informed the court that the electoral body had filed a counter-affidavit and would abide by the law.
Jonathan Suit Adjourned
In a related case, Justice Lifu adjourned the suit seeking to bar Goodluck Jonathan from the 2027 presidential election to May 15. The adjournment followed the absence of the plaintiff, John Mary Jideobi, and his lawyer, as well as the 2nd and 3rd defendants (INEC and AGF). Chris Uche (SAN), representing Jonathan, appealed for the suit to be struck out for lack of diligent prosecution, arguing it was liable to dismissal with a N5 million cost awarded against the plaintiff.
The court ordered that hearing notices be served on the absent parties. The plaintiff contends that Jonathan has exhausted the constitutional limit for the presidency, having completed the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and serving a full four-year term after the 2011 election. An affidavit by Emmanuel Agida stated that Jonathan assumed office on May 6, 2010, following Yar'Adua's death.
