Key points
- The Accord Party in Oyo State rejected a Federal High Court judgment directing its deregistration.
- Justice Peter Lifu ruled that five political parties failed to secure the constitutionally required 25% of votes in the last election.
- Party executives argued the deregistration is unrealistic because they have democratically elected officials serving at the local government level.
- Legal representatives confirmed that an appeal has been officially filed in Abuja to halt the implementation of the court order.
- The judicial decision follows a legal suit brought forward by an association representing former national legislators.
Main Story
The Oyo State chapter of the Accord Party has formally rejected a Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strip the political group of its official registration.
The judicial order, delivered on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu, directed the electoral umpire to deregister five political organizations: Accord, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The court ruled that the targeted organizations failed to win at least 25% of the votes cast during the last general election, a benchmark mandated by the nation’s constitution.
In a swift reaction on Tuesday, the Accord Party’s Secretary, Hon. Olayinka Dairo, disputed the practical reality of the court’s decision during an interview in Ibadan. Dairo expressed surprise over the party’s inclusion on the deregistration list, explaining that the organization currently holds active, democratically elected public offices. He pointed out that the party has won at least two or three local government councilorship seats, making the legal arguments raised against the party’s structural existence completely unrealistic.
To counter the judicial directive, the party confirmed that its legal team has already initiated appellate processes. Dairo revealed that an appeal was filed in Abuja ahead of time because leadership anticipated the legal challenge. The party intends to secure a formal stay of execution to prevent INEC from taking action while the higher court reviews the case. The initial high court judgment stems from a legal suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, which was originally instituted against the five political parties by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The Issues
- Defending the party’s national legal registration while pointing to local government election victories as proof of political relevance.
- Overturning a high court interpretation regarding constitutional vote thresholds required to remain an official political party.
- Halting immediate regulatory action by the electoral commission before the appellate court reviews the case file.
What’s Being Said
- Disputing the logic behind the deregistration order, Accord Party Secretary Olayinka Dairo stated that the party has elected officials in states and cannot simply be dissolved, adding: “We have like two or three councilors, and they are also elected. So all the reasons they have been giving that Accord is part of the parties that were deregistered is not realistic; I wonder why Accord is listed.”
- Confirming the party’s immediate legal countermeasures, Dairo emphasized: “We have appealed the case in Abuja because we saw this coming earlier.”
What’s Next
- Legal practitioners representing the political group will argue their motion for a stay of execution before the appellate court justices.
- National officials from the other four affected political parties will decide whether to coordinate a joint legal defense strategy.
- Electoral administrators will hold off on modifying the official register of political parties pending the outcome of the fast-tracked appeal.
Bottom Line
The Accord Party has launched an appeal in Abuja against a Federal High Court order directing its deregistration, arguing that its local council wins contradict claims that it failed to meet constitutional election performance requirements.
