Chief Akin Ricketts, National Chairman of ADA
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to generate and release a fresh access code to the leadership of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), led by Chief Akin Ricketts, to facilitate the party’s registration process.
The court directed INEC to release the access code to the recognised Protem Secretary of the association within 72 hours.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that INEC acted unlawfully by issuing the access code to Umar Ardo, who was neither the recognised Protem National Chairman nor the Protem Secretary of the association. The court declared all actions taken on behalf of ADA using that access code null and void.
The court also ordered INEC to reopen its registration portal for one week after issuing the new access code, enabling ADA to upload its membership register and other statutory registration documents.
Chief Akin Ricketts, through his counsel, Stephen Atabo, had challenged INEC’s decision to issue the access code to Umar Ardo instead of the recognised leadership of the association. The suit sought declarations that the issuance was unlawful and requested the court to compel INEC to provide the correct access code and allow the registration process to continue.
Justice Lifu dismissed preliminary objections challenging the competence of the suit, including claims that it was statute-barred under Section 76 of the Electoral Act, 2022. The court held that the provision did not apply because INEC had not formally refused ADA’s registration.
According to the court, there was no evidence that INEC had denied ADA registration, and therefore the registration process remained ongoing.
The judgment effectively clears the way for the Chief Akin Ricketts-led leadership of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) to proceed with its registration process before INEC, subject to compliance with all statutory requirements.
Dr. Umar Ardo
Meanwhile, the legal battle over the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) as a political party swiftly moved to the Court of Appeal, after Dr. Umar Ardo challenged the June 29 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The appeal, filed against Chief Akin A. Ricketts, Dr. Aminu Ahmed and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is seeking to have the judgment set aside.
In the Notice of Appeal, Ardo argued that the Federal High Court ought to have dismissed the suit because it was filed outside the 14-day period provided under Section 76 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
He maintained that the case was instituted more than one month after the cause of action arose and was therefore statute-barred.
The appellant also argued that the suit amounted to an abuse of court process because an earlier case involving substantially the same parties and seeking the registration of ADA was already before the court.
According to him, filing a fresh suit while the earlier matter was still pending opened the door to conflicting judgments and undermined the appeal arising from the previous case.
Ardo further told the Court of Appeal that the trial court failed to properly consider evidence showing that the first respondent had been removed as ADA’s Protem National Chairman and was no longer a member of the association, thereby lacking the legal standing to institute the suit.
He urged the appellate court to overturn the judgment, insisting that the trial court misinterpreted the law and failed to properly evaluate the evidence placed before it.