A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri has adjourned the matter seeking to disqualify the Action Peoples Party, APP, from participating in any electoral exercise following its deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The case, which was supposed to commence fully, was adjourned to April 16 following the absence of a legal representative from INEC and a plea for more time to prepare a defence by APP’s legal team.
The case, with Suit No: FHC/CS/03/2026, was filed by one Mr. Franklin Ngoforo, the Coordinator of Civic Action for Democracy (CAC), seeking the delisting of APP as a political party.
Present in court were members of the legal team from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, representing the Federal Government, as well as some civil society organisations.
At the commencement of proceedings, APP’s legal team pleaded for more time to enable them prepare their defence, while INEC did not send any legal representative.
The presiding judge, after listening to submissions from all parties present, adjourned the matter to April 16, giving APP’s legal team roughly seven weeks to file any defence they wish to present.
Speaking on the matter, a constitutional lawyer, Chinyere Obi, explained that when a defendant in a suit chooses not to appear or be represented, it is typically a signal that either they have no defence to present or are conceding the plaintiff’s argument by default.
In his observation, Barr. Chinedu Obasi of the Civil Liberties and Accountability Initiative described the proceedings as a watershed, signifying that Nigeria is still battling with electoral integrity.
He asserted that civil society organisations would exert pressure on INEC to ensure the right thing is done in that sector.
Ngoforo had filed a 21-count charge seeking to stop APP from operating as a political party.
He pointed out that APP was deregistered by INEC on February 6, 2020, and that the Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment of March 2022 affirmed it.