The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties after finding that they failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court ruled in favour of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which had challenged the continued recognition of the affected parties by INEC.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, sought the court’s interpretation of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC regulations concerning the eligibility of political parties to remain registered.
According to the plaintiffs, political parties are required to satisfy specific electoral performance benchmarks, including securing at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or winning elective positions at the national, state, or local government levels.
The former lawmakers argued that the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) failed to meet those conditions during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections conducted by INEC.
They maintained that none of the parties recorded the level of electoral success required by law to justify their continued existence as registered political parties.
The plaintiffs further contended that allowing such parties to remain on the electoral register undermines the integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s democratic process.
In their prayers before the court, the former legislators asked for a declaration that INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that fail to meet the prescribed thresholds. They also urged the court to compel the electoral commission to take action before preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
Justice Lifu agreed with the argument and ordered INEC to proceed with the deregistration of the five parties.
Beyond the deregistration order, the plaintiffs had also requested an injunction restraining the affected parties from participating in elections, conducting campaigns, holding rallies, organising primaries, or carrying out other political activities unless they comply with constitutional requirements.
The ruling is expected to have significant political implications ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly for politicians associated with the affected parties.
Among those who could be impacted by the judgment is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whose reported political alignment with the ADC has fuelled speculation about his potential platform for the next presidential election.
VANGUARD