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 alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The affected parties include the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The ruling followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.
In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, the plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional responsibility to deregister political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance standards outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC regulations.
The group of former lawmakers argued that the five political parties had consistently failed to meet the minimum requirements needed to maintain their registration.
According to them, these requirements include securing at least 25 per cent of votes in at least one state during a presidential election or winning at least one elective position at the national, state, or local government level.
They further told the court that the ADC and the other listed parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections conducted by INEC, failing to secure representation across key levels of government.
The plaintiffs maintained that allowing the continued existence of the parties as registered political entities undermines the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Among the reliefs sought, the group asked the court to declare that INEC is legally obliged to deregister political parties that fail to meet the constitutional benchmarks.
They also prayed the court to compel INEC to deregister the five parties ahead of the buildup to the 2027 general elections.
In addition, the plaintiffs sought an order restraining the affected parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies, and primaries.
They further requested an injunction preventing INEC from recognising or engaging with the parties in any official capacity unless they comply fully with constitutional provisions.
The judgment is expected to have significant political implications, potentially affecting the participation of candidates from the affected parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the 2027 presidential election.