Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, four other parties

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for political parties in Nigeria.

Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the affected parties, holding that they failed to secure the required 25 per cent of votes in the last general elections as stipulated by law.

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

The judge also ordered INEC not to allow the parties to participate in subsequent elections, including the 2027 general elections, having failed to meet the constitutional threshold.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The Attorney-General of the Federation and INEC were joined as defendants in the case.

The plaintiff argued that the affected political parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance. It contended that political parties are required to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to remain eligible under the law.

The forum further maintained that none of the affected parties effectively challenged its arguments and urged the court to order their deregistration.

Justice Lifu, who dismissed all the preliminary objections filed by the defendants, subsequently granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff and ordered the deregistration of the five political parties.