End of the Road for Atiku, Others as Court Orders Deregistration of ADC, Four Other Political Parties
A 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 governing the continued existence of political parties in Nigeria.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties, holding that they failed to secure the required electoral performance threshold in the last general elections.
The parties affected by the ruling are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The court also ordered INEC not to permit the parties to participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, on the grounds that they failed to satisfy the constitutional conditions for retaining their registration.
Before delivering the judgment, Justice Lifu dismissed the preliminary objections filed by the defendants, paving the way for a determination of the substantive issues raised in the suit.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The group sued INEC as the first defendant and also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation in the matter.
The plaintiff argued that the affected parties had failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance.
According to the group, political parties are required under the law to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to maintain their relevance and registration status.
It maintained that none of the parties had presented sufficient arguments to counter the claims and urged the court to order their deregistration.
Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff’s position and consequently directed INEC to remove the parties from the register of political parties and bar them from subsequent electoral contests.
The judgment represents a significant development in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
