Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday 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 political party recognition in Nigeria.

Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that the affected parties failed to secure the minimum electoral threshold prescribed by law and therefore no longer qualified to remain registered political parties.

The parties affected by the ruling are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The court further directed INEC not to allow the parties to participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, having failed to satisfy the constitutional benchmark for continued registration.

Justice Lifu dismissed the preliminary objections filed by the defendants before proceeding to grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the five political parties, with INEC listed as the first defendant and the Attorney-General of the Federation joined as a party to the case.

The plaintiff argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral performance and spread, contending that political parties are required to attain a minimum of 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to retain their relevance and legal status under the law.

According to the forum, none of the political parties effectively challenged the substance of its claims, thereby leaving the court with sufficient grounds to grant the reliefs sought.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff's arguments and ordered INEC to commence the deregistration process in line with the judgment.

The decision represents a major development in Nigeria's political landscape and could significantly reshape preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly for the affected parties whose participation in future electoral contests now hangs in the balance.

The judgment is also expected to generate legal and political reactions, with the affected parties retaining the option of challenging the decision at the appellate courts.