In what is being described as a dramatic turn of events in the nation’s capital, the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) has officially proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the recent Court of Appeal decision regarding the deregistration of the ADC, APP, Accord Party, ZLP and one other political party.
The legal maneuvering casts a shadow of uncertainty over the political landscape, directly threatening the electoral structures and alliances tied to these parties and their candidates as the apex court prepares to weigh in.
*The Legal Battle Over Section 225A*
From the court papers filed and sighted by our reporter in Abuja, the NFFL is heavily leaning on strict constitutional provisions. The Forum is urging the Supreme Court to completely discountenance the judgment of the Appeal Court, which had previously offered a lifeline to the embattled political platforms. Instead, the NFFL is seeking to uphold the earlier judgment of the Lower Court, which explicitly called for the deregistration of Accord, ADC, APP, ZLP, and AA.
The core of the NFFL’s argument rests on the assertion that these parties have failed to meet the constitutional threshold required for their continued existence as recognized political entities in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists on the condition of anonymity, as he is not formally authorized to address the press on the active litigation, a high-ranking member of the Forum emphasized that the judicial escalation is not born out of malice, but legal necessity.
“There is a pressing need to bring this matter to a logical, definitive conclusion, having already passed through the crucibles of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal,” the source noted. “The primary motive behind this final suit is to seek a clear, unassailable interpretation of Section 225A of the Constitution. We must expound our electoral and constitutional jurisprudence so that the rules of engagement are clear for all actors moving forward.”
The trajectory of the case has created a deeply polarized legal scoreboard. Out of the three tiers of the constitutional judicial steps, the warring factions have each secured one major victory: the proponents of deregistration won at the High Court, while the political parties successfully overturned that decision at the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court now serves as the ultimate tie-breaker.
This judicial ping-pong is already generating severe anxiety at the grassroots level, where the implications of a sudden deregistration could upend local political dynamics.
Reacting to the development, a resident of Owerri, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of political victimization, raised alarm over the unpredictability of the final judicial stage.
“Anything can happen at this final stage at the Supreme Court, and it is making us very uneasy,” the resident explained. “The High Court said one thing, the Appeal Court said another.
As a voter, my biggest worry is casting my ballot for a party or a candidate , only to have the Supreme Court declare the party’s existence null and void. Nobody wants their civic right to turn out to be a wasted vote at the end of the day.”
The events of Zamfara, Bayelsa and Rivers(Wike) are quick reminders.
As the Supreme Court readies to schedule a hearing for the suit, all eyes remain fixed on the apex court. The impending verdict will not only determine the survival of Accord, ADC, APP, ZLP, and AA but will also establish a landmark precedent regarding the powers of the electoral commission to prune the ballot. Until the final gavel falls, Candidates and the leadership of the affected parties remain in a tense state of political limbo.
