A 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 for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for political party registration and continued existence in Nigeria.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu held that the affected parties failed to secure the minimum electoral threshold required under the law and were therefore no longer eligible to remain registered political parties.
The court consequently directed INEC to immediately deregister the parties and bar them from participating in future elections, including the 2027 general election.
The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Lifu, who dismissed all preliminary objections filed by the defendants before proceeding to judgment, ruled that the parties had failed to satisfy constitutional provisions requiring political parties to demonstrate a prescribed level of electoral support.
The suit was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026. The group had approached the court seeking an order compelling INEC to deregister the parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional benchmarks relating to electoral performance and national spread.
The plaintiff argued that political parties are required to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in relevant elections to justify their continued registration and participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
According to the forum, none of the affected parties successfully challenged the substance of the claims brought before the court.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and INEC were joined as parties in the suit.
The judgment is expected to trigger significant political reactions, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.
The ruling also raises fresh questions about the future of smaller political parties and the enforcement of constitutional provisions governing party registration and electoral performance in Nigeria.
