Legal Twist: Owerri Court Upholds APP Status Amid Deregistration Row

After Abuja Court Ruling, Another Federal Court in Owerri Rules Against Deregistration of APP
Confusion surrounding the legal status of the Action People’s Party (APP) intensified on Monday after a Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State, ruled that the party remains a registered political party, despite an earlier judgment by a Federal High Court in Abuja ordering its deregistration.

Delivering judgment, Justice I.N. Oweibo dismissed a suit seeking the removal of APP from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) register of political parties, holding that the party continues to enjoy legal recognition under Nigerian law.
The Owerri ruling came just hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja directed INEC to deregister APP and four other political parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements, creating what many observers see as conflicting judicial pronouncements on the party’s status.
While the Abuja court focused on constitutional compliance issues relating to political parties, the Owerri court considered claims that APP had already been deregistered during INEC’s February 2020 exercise and found no evidence that such deregistration ever took effect.
Justice Oweibo noted that APP had obtained a valid court order from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in 2020 restraining INEC from taking any action that could affect the party’s status pending the conclusion of judicial review proceedings.
The court further held that the plaintiff failed to prove that APP had been lawfully deregistered and consequently dismissed all reliefs sought against both INEC and the party.
The judgment strengthens APP’s position that it remains a legally recognized political party. However, the existence of the separate Abuja ruling directing its deregistration is likely to trigger further legal proceedings to determine which court order ultimately prevails regarding the party’s status.