The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for failing to meet constitutional requirements governing the continued existence of political parties in Nigeria.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that the affected parties failed to secure the minimum electoral threshold required under the law and therefore no longer qualified to retain their registration.
The parties affected by the ruling are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The court further directed INEC to prevent the parties from participating in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, on the grounds that they did not obtain at least 25 per cent of votes as required by law.
Justice Lifu reached the decision after dismissing preliminary objections filed by the defendants and proceeding to determine the substantive issues raised in the suit.
The action was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued registration of the parties. The group argued that the affected parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements relating to electoral performance and national spread.
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 required to attain prescribed electoral benchmarks to justify their continued recognition under the law. They contended that the five parties failed to meet those standards and did not effectively rebut the claims brought against them.
Based on the arguments presented, the court agreed with the plaintiffs and ordered their deregistration.
The judgment, however, does not mark the end of the legal process, as the affected parties retain the right to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.