Appeal Court reserves judgment on appeals against deregistration of ADC, 4 others

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA, July 14 — The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday heard and reserved judgment on appeals seeking to set aside the judgment that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, okayed the matter for judgment after all the parties adopted their briefs of argument.

Aside from the ADC, the other parties seeking nullification of the Federal High Court judgment are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

It will be recalled that the appellate court had, on June 16, ordered a stay of execution of the High Court judgment, even as it slammed the trial judge for disregarding the judicial hierarchy.