The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for failing to meet constitutional requirements governing the continued registration of political parties in Nigeria.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties, ruling that they failed to secure the minimum electoral threshold required under the law during the last general elections.
The parties affected by the judgment are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Lifu further ordered INEC not to permit the parties to participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, on the grounds that they had failed to satisfy the constitutional conditions necessary to retain their status as registered political parties.
The court’s decision followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The plaintiff joined INEC as the first defendant in the matter and also named the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) alongside the five political parties.
In its arguments before the court, the forum contended that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance, which are essential criteria for maintaining political party registration.
The group argued that political parties are required to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to remain compliant with constitutional and electoral provisions.
According to the plaintiff, the five parties failed to attain the stipulated threshold and therefore no longer qualified to retain their registration under the law.
Justice Lifu, in his ruling, dismissed all preliminary objections raised by the defendants before proceeding to grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
The court held that the arguments advanced by the National Forum of Former Legislators remained substantially unchallenged, noting that the affected parties had not effectively rebutted the claims regarding their electoral performance.
Consequently, the court directed INEC to take immediate steps towards implementing the judgment and ensuring compliance with the order of deregistration.
The ruling represents a significant development in Nigeria’s political landscape and could have far-reaching implications ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Neither INEC nor the affected political parties had issued an official response to the judgment as of the time of filing this report.
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