A fresh legal battle over the status of the Action Peoples Party (APP) has escalated, with Civic Action for Democracy (CAD) publicly dismantling claims that the party remains validly registered.
At a press conference in Owerri on Tuesday, CAD’s Executive Director, Franklin Ngoforo, accused federal lawmaker Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu of misleading the public by circulating what he described as “irrelevant and legally baseless” court documents.
Ngoforo argued that none of the materials presented by the lawmaker address the core legal issue—APP’s deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in February 2020, a decision he said was upheld by the Supreme Court in March 2022. According to him, no valid court order exists to justify the party’s continued presence on INEC’s register.
He maintained that APP’s participation in recent electoral activities is legally void, insisting that the Federal High Court will ultimately order the party’s removal. “Propaganda cannot override constitutional law,” Ngoforo said, warning politicians and the public to avoid associating with the party.
Central to CAD’s argument is a pending suit seeking APP’s delisting, which the group says rests on five key legal pillars: INEC’s 2020 deregistration, the Supreme Court’s affirmation, and the absence of any verifiable court order reversing or suspending that decision.
Ngoforo took direct aim at documents allegedly obtained from courts in Uyo and Owerri, describing them as unrelated to the deregistration issue. He explained that the Uyo case focused on internal party leadership disputes, which have no bearing on whether APP remains legally registered.
The Owerri case, he argued, further weakens the party’s position. CAD claims that APP’s participation in 2024 local government elections—used as a basis for legal arguments—was itself unlawful, since the party had already lost its legal status years earlier. “An entity without legal existence cannot acquire legitimacy through illegal participation,” Ngoforo said.
He also dismissed a purported INEC letter confirming APP’s status, insisting it fails to provide evidence of the alleged court order that supposedly restrained the party’s deregistration. According to CAD, INEC has repeatedly failed to produce such an order despite multiple requests over six years.
Ngoforo pointed to INEC’s absence in court proceedings as further evidence of a weak defence, suggesting the electoral body is unable to justify APP’s continued listing. He added that the court case, adjourned to April 16, 2026, is expected to determine the party’s fate ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group warned that any politician aligning with APP risks losing their political platform if the court rules in favour of delisting. CAD insists its legal action is aimed not just at the party, but at safeguarding electoral integrity in Nigeria.
