BREAKING: Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, four other political parties

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 alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.

The affected parties include the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The ruling followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026 filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

The plaintiffs had asked the court to determine whether INEC is constitutionally bound to deregister political parties that fail to meet the performance thresholds outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

They argued that the five political parties failed to meet minimum electoral benchmarks, including winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at national, state, or local government level.

According to the plaintiffs, the continued existence of the parties despite their poor electoral performance undermines the credibility and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.

They therefore urged the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties ahead of the 2027 general elections and to restrain them from participating in electoral activities.

The court, in its judgment, granted the reliefs sought and ordered INEC to take appropriate action to remove the parties from its register.

The decision is expected to have significant political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections, potentially affecting party structures and alliances across the country.