By John Azu
The All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has issued a final demand to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with a Federal High Court order directing the electoral body to issue the party’s authentic leadership an access code to enable it complete its registration process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party warned that failure by INEC to comply within 48 hours could trigger contempt proceedings against the commission’s Chairman, the Director of the Department of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM), and other relevant officials.
In a statement signed by ADA’s Protem National Secretary, Dr Aminu Ahmed, the party said it was one of the eight political associations pre-qualified by INEC for registration as political parties.
According to the statement, INEC’s failure to comply with the order of the Federal High Court in Abuja has stalled the uploading of the list of party officials, office addresses, names of administrative staff and other details required under the commission’s Guidelines and Regulations.
The party said the delay had prevented it from completing the registration process and obtaining its certificate of registration as a political party.
“Based on the order of the court to issue an Access Code to us within 72 hours from the date of the court’s judgment, INEC was supposed to have issued the access code latest by 4th August 2026.
“INEC has now been in continuous defiance of a valid court order for a period of 39 days today and counting,” the statement said.
ADA said it was giving the INEC Chairman a final 48-hour deadline, beginning August 10, 2026, to comply with the court order by releasing the access code.
It warned that failure to do so would leave the party with no option but to commence contempt proceedings against the INEC Chairman, the Director of EPM and other relevant officials.
“The ADA views this deliberate non-compliance as a direct assault on the rule of law and a calculated attempt to stall the registration of our political association into a political party and deny our teeming members and supporters the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
“We hold the INEC Chairman and the Director, Department of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM), personally responsible for this continuing obstruction, which is a clear case of contempt of court,” the party said.
The dispute followed an earlier suit filed by ADA leaders, Chief Akin A. Rickets and Dr Aminu Ahmed, through their counsel, M.U. Kumalia, against INEC and Dr Umar Ardo over the release of the association’s access code to Ardo.
The plaintiffs argued that Ardo was neither the National Chairman nor the Secretary of the association and therefore was not entitled to receive the access code.
In his judgment delivered on June 29, Justice Peter Lifu held that INEC’s issuance of the access code to Ardo, whom the court said was not a recognised Protem Secretary of the political association, was illegal, wrongful, null and void.
The court further ordered INEC to open its portal for one week to enable the ADA leadership to upload the necessary documents, including the digital register of members and other requirements for registration as a political party.
The court also directed INEC to generate a new access code for the political association within 72 hours to enable it complete its registration process.
The court ordered that the new access code be issued to the Protem Chairman or Secretary named in a letter dated October 10, 2025, and received by INEC on October 13, 2025, which was attached as Exhibit ADA 3 to the plaintiffs’ amended originating summons.
With the 2027 elections approaching, ADA said it would pursue all available legal remedies if INEC failed to comply with the court’s directive within the stipulated period.