A Federal High Court in Imo State has thrown out a lawsuit that sought to remove the Action Peoples Party (APP) from Nigeria’s electoral register, instructing the Independent National Electoral Commission to pay no heed to any contrary ruling that might emerge from other courts.
Justice Iniekenimi Oweibo delivered the judgment on June 2, 2026, though the details became public on Monday, the same day an Abuja court ordered the APP’s deregistration.
The Owerri ruling stemmed from a suit filed by Mazi Ngororo Chinazo, who argued that INEC had already removed the APP during its 2020 deregistration exercise. He asked the court to declare that the commission could no longer legally recognize the party under Sections 225 and 225A of the Constitution.
The judge found that the plaintiff presented no evidence proving the APP was ever on INEC’s deregistration list. To the contrary, court records showed the APP had previously secured an order from an FCT High Court blocking INEC from taking any action against it. That order, Justice Oweibo noted, remains valid.
In his ruling, the judge dismissed all five issues raised by the plaintiff and rejected every relief sought.
He went further, describing the case as an unnecessary waste of judicial resources. According to the court, the plaintiff knew from his own inquiries that the APP had not been deregistered and was aware of existing court decisions affirming the party’s legal status.
Justice Oweibo then awarded punitive costs — N10 million against the plaintiff in favor of INEC and another N10 million in favor of the APP.
The ruling places INEC in an impossible position. On one hand, an Abuja judge on Monday ordered the commission to deregister the APP. On the other hand, Justice Oweibo has effectively told INEC to ignore any conflicting judgment and keep the party on the ballot for 2027.
With two coordinate courts issuing contradictory directives, the electoral commission is stuck. Legal observers expect the matter to be resolved only at the Court of Appeal.
The APP has welcomed the Owerri judgment, viewing it as legal cover to remain in the 2027 race. INEC has yet to comment on how it will reconcile the two rulings.
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