The 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 over their alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration. The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on Monday.
The affected political parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
According to reports, the court held that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements necessary to retain their status as registered political parties in Nigeria. The judgment followed a legal challenge initiated by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the affected parties did not meet the required electoral performance threshold.
Justice Peter Lifu also directed INEC to prevent the affected parties from participating in future elections, including preparations for the 2027 general elections, pending compliance with constitutional provisions. The judge dismissed preliminary objections filed by some of the defendants before issuing the order.
The ruling is expected to generate significant political debate, especially as political parties continue to position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. However, it remains possible that the affected parties could challenge the decision through the appellate courts.
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INEC has yet to publicly announce its next steps regarding the implementation of the court’s directive at the time of filing this report.
