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 over their alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The order was contained in a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that fail to satisfy the electoral performance benchmarks outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC regulations.
The National Forum of Former Legislators argued that the five political parties had consistently failed to meet the constitutional thresholds required to retain their registration as political parties.
According to the plaintiffs, the constitutional requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective position at the national, state, or local government level.
They maintained that the ADC, APP, AA, AP and ZLP performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections conducted by INEC, failing to secure elective offices across key levels of government.
The former lawmakers further contended that the continued recognition of the affected parties by INEC was unlawful and detrimental to the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
They urged the court to declare that INEC is constitutionally bound to deregister political parties that fail to meet the prescribed electoral performance standards.
The plaintiffs also sought an order compelling the electoral commission to complete the deregistration of the five parties before preparations for the 2027 general elections progress further.
Beyond the deregistration request, they asked the court to restrain the affected political parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities, including campaigns, rallies and party primaries.
Additionally, they sought an injunction preventing INEC from recognising, dealing with, or according any official status to the parties unless they fully comply with constitutional requirements.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs and directed INEC to deregister the five political parties.
The ruling is expected to have significant political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly for aspirants seeking elective office on the platforms of the affected parties.
Political observers note that the judgment could affect the ambitions of prominent politicians associated with the ADC, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, should the ruling remain in force.