The Court of Appeal in Abuja has received a formal request to overturn a High Court directive that mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) for the 2027 general elections. Dr. Umar Ardo, a member of the association, filed six grounds of appeal on Tuesday to contest the ruling.
Dr. Ardo argues that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court committed a legal error by ordering INEC to provide an access code to a faction led by Chief Akin Ricketts. According to the appellant, Chief Ricketts had already been removed from his position as Pro Tem National Chairman, and his name was removed from the official membership registry. Therefore, Ardo contends that Ricketts lacked the legal standing to initiate the lawsuit.
The appellant also claims the initial lawsuit was statute-barred under Section 76 of the Electoral Act 2022, as it was filed more than a month after the relevant events, exceeding the 14-day limit. Furthermore, Ardo highlights that the case constitutes an abuse of court process, noting that a prior, similar lawsuit regarding the same subject matter is currently pending before the appellate court.
Dr. Ardo is asking the Court of Appeal to nullify Justice Lifu’s decision, which required INEC to grant access to the Ricketts-led faction and reopen its portal for new document submissions. He maintains that the lower court improperly interfered in the internal affairs of the association and ignored evidence regarding the removal of its former leadership.
