COURT ORDERS DEREGISTRATION OF ADC, ACCORD, THREE OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES

By CoolNews Nigeria Reporter

ABUJA – The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for failing to meet constitutional requirements for political party registration and continued participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment on Monday, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately deregister the affected parties after finding that they failed to secure the minimum electoral threshold stipulated by law during the last general elections.

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

The court further ordered INEC not to allow the affected parties to participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, on the grounds that they failed to attain the constitutional benchmark required for political parties to retain their registration.

Justice Lifu dismissed all preliminary objections filed by the defendants before ruling in favour of the plaintiff, the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, challenged the continued existence of the parties, arguing that they had failed to satisfy constitutional requirements relating to electoral performance and national relevance.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was listed as the first defendant in the suit, while the Attorney-General of the Federation was also joined as a party.

According to the plaintiffs, political parties are expected to demonstrate a minimum level of electoral support by securing at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections. They maintained that the affected parties failed to meet this requirement and did not present sufficient arguments to justify retaining their registration.

The judgment is expected to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections, with stakeholders already reacting to the implications of the court’s decision.

As of the time of filing this report, INEC and the affected political parties had not officially reacted to the judgment.