ADA to block faction’s INEC access code, heads to Appeal Court

The All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has rejected a Federal High Court judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the party's registration access code to a faction led by Chief Akin Ricketts. The ADA insists the ruling attempts to impose "outsider leadership" on the association.

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For clarity, the Court did not order the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the All Democratic Alliance as a political party. Rather, the Court directed INEC to release the registration access code to Chief Akin Ricketts to recommence the registration process.

In a statement, the ADA announced it has instructed its lawyers to file for a stay of execution and lodge a notice of appeal. The party contends that Ricketts and his associates have since left the ADA for the African Democratic Congress and therefore lack the authority to act on its behalf. The ADA's National Publicity Secretary, Leye Igbabo, clarified that the court did not order INEC to register the ADA as a political party but merely to release the access code to Ricketts to restart the registration process.

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The change in the leadership of the Association was effectively and formally communicated to INEC before now, and the Commission had acknowledged and deemed the change to have been effected accordingly.

The ADA stated that the change in leadership was formally communicated to INEC, which acknowledged the change. Consequently, the registration process was completed by the National Executive Committee led by Prince Uche Secondus and Dr. Umar Ardo. The association expressed concern that implementing the judgment would effectively hand over the ADA to individuals who have abandoned it, calling the situation an abuse of process.

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Consequently, the registration process has since been completed by the Prince Uche Secondus- and Dr Umar Ardo-led National Executive Committee.

The party remains confident that the Court of Appeal will reverse the decision, noting that its substantive appeal is already slated for hearing. The Federal High Court's ruling came after Justice Peter Lifu ordered INEC to generate and release the registration access code to the Ricketts-led faction within 72 hours, and to reopen its portal for one week. The judge had found that INEC acted unlawfully by issuing the access code to Dr. Umar Ardo, who was not the recognized Protem National Chairman or Secretary, nullifying all documents and actions taken by Ardo in the registration process.

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It is not only an abuse of process, but also vexatious and obnoxious. The effect of the judgment, if implemented, is to hand over the ADA to persons who have abandoned the Association.