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 for persistently failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026.
The plaintiff asked the court to determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was constitutionally obligated to deregister political parties that fail to meet the thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution.
The suit further relied on provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations, which were cited as reinforcing the constitutional requirements for party registration and continued existence.
The other parties affected are the Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.
The plaintiff argued that the five parties had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration, which include winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state or local government level.
The former legislators told the court that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to win seats across key tiers of government, and insisted that their continued existence as recognised political parties was unlawful and undermined the integrity of the electoral system.
Among the reliefs sought, the plaintiff urged the court to declare that INEC is duty-bound to deregister such parties and to compel the commission to do so before preparations for the 2027 elections advance further.
The plaintiff also asked the court to restrain the five parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies and primaries, and to bar INEC from recognising or dealing with them unless they strictly comply with constitutional provisions.
The ruling could have implications for the prospects of candidates from the affected political parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has been linked with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as well as Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party.
(The Whistler)