A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and lead counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunmbi, has expressed concern over what he described as an unusual legal situation arising from the ongoing dispute surrounding the deregistration of some political parties.
Speaking on Frontline, a public affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Adetunmbi said the developments in the case were unlike anything he had encountered in more than two decades of legal practice.
According to him, it is rare to witness circumstances where a decision of a lower court appears to proceed despite directives already issued by a higher court on the same matter.
His comments followed a recent judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove several political parties from its register. The affected parties include the Accord Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The court held that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements relating to electoral performance and consequently ordered that they should no longer participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections.
The ruling stemmed from a suit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued registration of the parties.
Reacting to the judgment, Adetunmbi noted that the matter remains before the Court of Appeal and cautioned against extensive public discussion while legal proceedings are still ongoing.
He disclosed that the appeal was scheduled for hearing and emphasized that all parties involved should allow the judicial process to run its course.
The senior lawyer also clarified his interpretation of the Federal High Court’s ruling, stating that the judgment did not expressly prohibit political campaigns or activities by the affected parties. Rather, he said the court directed INEC to commence the process of deregistration and refrain from accepting official communications from the affected parties, except for matters connected to the implementation of the judgment.
Adetunmbi further maintained that an earlier order from the Court of Appeal had instructed that judgment should not be delivered until issues raised on appeal had been determined. He described the situation as a significant procedural concern that would ultimately require judicial clarification.
Despite the ruling, he reaffirmed Accord Party’s commitment to pursuing all available legal remedies, insisting that the party would continue to seek redress through the courts in accordance with the law.
He declined to comment on the motives behind the judgment, stressing that only the judiciary could properly explain the reasoning behind its decisions.
Meanwhile, political observers believe the ruling could have implications for the political calculations of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who recently joined the Accord Party ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election. Should the judgment survive the appeal process, it could present significant challenges for candidates seeking to contest elections under the affected political platforms.
