Breaking: Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, Accord, 3 others
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside four other political parties.
The affected parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The directive was issued by Justice Peter Lifu in a judgment delivered in Abuja.
The case, filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, sought the court’s interpretation of whether INEC is constitutionally required to deregister political parties that fail to satisfy the electoral performance criteria outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and relevant INEC regulations.
According to the plaintiffs, the five political parties consistently failed to attain the constitutional standards necessary to maintain their registration status.
They argued that political parties are expected to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or win at least one elective position at the federal, state, or local government level.
The plaintiffs maintained that the ADC and the other affected parties recorded poor results in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to secure representation across major levels of government.
They further contended that allowing the parties to remain registered despite their electoral performance violates constitutional provisions and weakens the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Among the reliefs sought, the former lawmakers asked the court to affirm that INEC has a mandatory responsibility to deregister political parties that do not meet the prescribed requirements.
They also requested an order compelling the electoral commission to remove the parties from its register before preparations for the 2027 general elections progress further.
In addition, they sought an injunction preventing INEC from recognising or engaging with the affected parties in any official capacity unless they fully comply with constitutional requirements.
The ruling could have significant implications for members and prospective candidates of the affected parties ahead of the 2027 elections, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who may be impacted by the decision.