Adeleke Rejects Court Order Deregistering Accord Party

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has described Monday’s Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of five political parties, including his Accord Party, as an abuse of court process and a violation of a subsisting order from the Court of Appeal.

In a statement issued in Osogbo on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said the lower court proceeded to deliver judgment despite an earlier appellate court directive staying proceedings in the matter. He noted that the record of the Court of Appeal proceedings of 22 May 2026 was presented before Justice Peter Lifu as an exhibit.

The Federal High Court had ruled that INEC should deregister the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance and Zenith Labour Party for failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022. The suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

Adeleke urged Osun residents to remain calm, expressing confidence that the Court of Appeal, scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday, would resolve the issue in favour of his party. He assured supporters that the Accord Party would remain on the ballot for the August 15 governorship election and that his campaign flag-off would proceed as planned the following day.

This development comes weeks before the Osun governorship poll and forms part of ongoing legal challenges to the deregistration of several parties ahead of future elections. Similar attempts to prune the number of registered parties have occurred in the past, notably in 2020 when INEC removed dozens of parties that failed to meet electoral performance criteria, with some decisions later reviewed by higher courts.

The ruling directly affects the Accord Party’s participation in the August election, where Adeleke is seeking re-election. It also intersects with broader national discussions on opposition platforms and coalition arrangements as parties prepare for the 2027 general elections.

Legal analysts expect the Court of Appeal to clarify the status of the stay order and determine whether the lower court’s judgment stands. INEC is likely to await the outcome of the appellate process before taking further administrative steps on the affected parties.