Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over their failure to meet constitutional requirements for retaining registration.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, also affects the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that fail to satisfy the electoral performance benchmarks stipulated in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and relevant INEC regulations.

According to the plaintiffs, the affected parties consistently failed to meet the required thresholds, including securing 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 level.

They maintained that the parties recorded poor performances in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to secure representation across key tiers of government.

The forum further argued that the continued recognition of the parties by INEC was unlawful and detrimental to the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.

The plaintiffs sought declarations compelling INEC to deregister the parties and restrain them from participating in elections, conducting campaigns, rallies, primaries, or any other political activities until they comply with constitutional provisions.

They also requested an injunction preventing INEC from recognising or dealing with the affected parties in any official capacity.
The court upheld the arguments and directed INEC to proceed with the deregistration of the five parties.

The ruling could have significant political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly for aspirants seeking elective offices on the platforms of the affected parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has recently been linked to the ADC