OSOGBO, Osun State — Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has condemned the Federal High Court judgment on the deregistration of the Accord Party, citing that the ruling violates a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.
Governor Adeleke, who is a prominent chieftain of the Accord Party, expressed his displeasure in a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed. He described the judgment as a judicial aberration, warning that it undermines the authority of the appellate court and sets a dangerous precedent for the rule of law in Nigeria.
The governor’s reaction follows a recent judgment by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which reportedly affirmed the deregistration of the Accord Party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The deregistration was based on the party’s alleged failure to meet the constitutional requirements for retaining its status as a registered political party.
However, Adeleke argued that the Federal High Court judgment was in direct conflict with an existing order of the Court of Appeal, which had previously stayed any action relating to the deregistration of the party pending the determination of an appeal filed by the party’s leadership. He insisted that the lower court ought to have respected the appellate court’s order.
The governor further stated that the Accord Party remains a registered political party in the eyes of the law and that INEC cannot lawfully act on the Federal High Court judgment while the Court of Appeal order subsists. He called on the electoral commission to abide by the hierarchy of courts and refrain from taking any step that would prejudice the pending appeal.
According to Adeleke, the deregistration of the Accord Party has wider implications beyond the party itself, as it affects the democratic rights of millions of Nigerians who identify with the party and its candidates. He noted that the party has a strong presence in several states, including Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, and Edo, and has fielded candidates in previous elections.
The governor urged the leadership of the Accord Party to challenge the Federal High Court judgment immediately and seek a stay of execution from the Court of Appeal. He expressed confidence that the appellate court would set aside the lower court’s ruling and affirm the party’s legal status.
The Accord Party was among the 74 political parties deregistered by INEC in 2020 for failing to meet the constitutional threshold of having at least two elected members at the national or state assembly levels. However, the party has since challenged its deregistration through various legal means, arguing that it remained active and viable.
The legal battle over the deregistration of political parties has been a recurring issue in Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence. Several deregistered parties have approached the courts, with mixed outcomes. Some have successfully overturned their deregistration, while others have seen their appeals dismissed.
Constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, commenting on the matter, stated that the issue of conflicting court orders has become a recurring embarrassment to the Nigerian judiciary. He called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to ensure that lower courts respect the orders of appellate courts to avoid chaos in the legal system.
INEC has yet to issue an official statement on the judgment or indicate whether it intends to act on the deregistration order. The commission has previously maintained that it would only act on court judgments after all legal avenues have been exhausted and the status of the affected parties is finally determined.
Political analysts have noted that the Accord Party’s situation is closely watched, as it could affect the political calculations in Osun State, where Governor Adeleke is the most prominent face of the party. Any attempt to deregister the party could have implications for the governor’s political future and his ability to seek re-election under the party’s platform.
As the legal battle continues, all eyes are on the Court of Appeal, which is expected to hear the party’s appeal in the coming weeks. For now, Governor Adeleke has thrown down the gauntlet, insisting that the law must be followed and that the Accord Party will not be erased from Nigeria’s political landscape without due process.
