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 failure to meet constitutional electoral performance requirements.
The affected parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Peter Lifu issued the directive while delivering judgment in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The plaintiffs had asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that fail to satisfy the electoral performance thresholds stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC regulations.
According to the former lawmakers, the affected parties failed to secure the minimum constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration, including obtaining at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or winning at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government levels.
They argued that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to win seats across the various tiers of government.
The plaintiffs further contended that the continued recognition of the parties by INEC was unlawful and detrimental to the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process. They urged the court to compel the electoral commission to deregister the parties ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
In addition to the declaratory reliefs granted, the suit sought orders restraining the affected parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies, and primaries, as well as preventing INEC from recognising them in any official capacity unless they comply with constitutional provisions.
The judgment is expected to have significant political implications and could affect the ambitions of aspirants seeking elective offices on the platforms of the affected parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
