The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed June 5, 2026, to deliver judgment in a lawsuit seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and several other political entities over alleged constitutional infractions.
Justice Peter Lifu scheduled the date after dismissing multiple applications for a stay of proceedings and joinder brought before the court by various politicians and political groups.
Among those affected by the dismissed joinder applications were Sani Yakubu Noma of the ADC, alongside Ademola Adeleke and Oluwafemi Abayomi Arabambi of the Accord Party.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu maintained that granting a stay of proceedings at this juncture would inflict undue hardship on the litigants, especially as political parties are actively preparing to submit candidate lists for upcoming elections.
The judge referenced established Supreme Court precedents that caution lower courts against granting disruptive stays of proceedings.
He further noted that because the applicants had already approached the Court of Appeal, the trial court should proceed to conclude the matter unless explicitly ordered otherwise by the higher court.
Justice Lifu declared that the issues raised by the applicants lacked merit and dismissed the applications seeking to join the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th defendants.
Additionally, the court heard arguments from Peter Abang, counsel to the Action Peoples Party (APP), who sought the dismissal of the suit on the grounds that the core issues had already been litigated before the appellate court.