ABUJA — 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.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Monday, directing INEC to remove the affected parties from its register and prevent them from participating in future elections, including the 2027 general elections.
The political parties affected by the ruling are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
According to the court, the parties failed to satisfy the constitutional threshold relating to electoral performance.
The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the parties no longer met the constitutional conditions required to retain their status as registered political parties.
The group urged the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties, insisting that they failed to achieve the minimum electoral performance standards outlined in the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Justice Lifu dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the defendants before granting the plaintiff’s requests.
He subsequently ordered INEC not to recognise the affected parties in subsequent elections and directed the electoral commission to take immediate steps to implement the judgment.
Political Implications Ahead of 2027
The ruling could have major implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ADC, which recently emerged as a major opposition platform, is expected to challenge the judgment through legal means.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had yet to issue an official statement indicating whether it would immediately implement the court’s order or await the outcome of any appeals that may arise from the case.
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