Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties
Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties
Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, over their failure to meet constitutional electoral performance requirements.
The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party. The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026 filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The plaintiffs argued that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements for continued registration, including electoral performance benchmarks stipulated under the Constitution and relevant electoral laws.
The court held that INEC has a constitutional obligation to enforce provisions requiring political parties to demonstrate a minimum level of electoral support. Under Nigerian law, a political party risks deregistration if it fails to secure at least one elective seat or achieve the required electoral threshold in elections.
Justice Lifu further directed INEC not to allow the affected parties to participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, pending compliance with constitutional requirements.
The plaintiffs maintained that the parties recorded poor performances in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to win elective positions at the federal, state, or local government levels. They argued that the continued recognition of such parties undermines the integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Reacting to the ruling, the ADC rejected the judgment and indicated its intention to challenge the decision through legal channels, describing the court order as unacceptable.
The ruling is expected to have significant implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly for parties and political figures associated with the affected platforms.
Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties
