The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely its proceedings in a case seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and several other political parties in Nigeria.

The suit was brought by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and multiple political parties including the ADC, Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party among others.

Initially, Justice Peter Lifu had scheduled Friday for judgment in the matter, but proceedings were halted after the Accord Party obtained a stay of proceedings from the Court of Appeal on 29 May.

This legal development forced the court to suspend the delivery of judgment, with the registrar informing all parties that a new date would be communicated later.

Reacting to the adjournment, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, Mr Raphael Igbokwe, expressed disappointment over the appellate court’s decision to grant the stay of proceedings.

He described the situation as an interruption at a critical stage of the case, noting that the forum has already escalated the matter to the Supreme Court by challenging the stay order.

According to him, the group remains committed to pursuing all legal avenues to ensure the issues raised in the case are resolved in the interest of strengthening Nigeria’s democratic and electoral system.

The suit itself argues that the affected political parties have failed to meet constitutional requirements, particularly the alleged need to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in specified elections to maintain their registration status.The plaintiffs are asking the court to order INEC to deregister the parties on grounds of non-compliance with electoral performance standards.

The case continues to attract attention as it raises broader questions about party viability, constitutional interpretation, and the regulation of political parties in Nigeria’s democracy.