A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over their alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Monday in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued recognition of the affected parties by INEC.
The court ordered INEC to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) from the official register of political parties.
The judgment stemmed from a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, in which the plaintiffs sought an interpretation of whether INEC was constitutionally obligated to deregister political parties that failed to meet performance thresholds stipulated in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022 and relevant INEC regulations.
According to the plaintiffs, the affected parties failed to satisfy constitutional benchmarks, including securing at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or winning at least one elective position at the federal, state or local government levels.
The National Forum of Former Legislators argued that the parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to secure meaningful representation across different tiers of government.
Delivering judgment, Justice Lifu held that INEC should deregister the parties for breaching constitutional provisions governing political party registration and operations.
The court further restrained the affected parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities, including campaigns, rallies and primary elections.
Additionally, the court barred INEC from recognising or conducting official business with the parties pending compliance with the judgment.
The ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s political landscape as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum. However, the affected political parties retain the right to challenge the decision at the appellate courts.
