Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Accord, and Three Other Parties

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC) along with four other political parties from its register.

In addition to the ADC, the court’s ruling also x-marks the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

This decision came about following a judgment from Justice Peter Lifu.

The case which was identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was brought by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

The plaintiff had argued that INEC is constitutionally obligated to deregister political parties that do not meet the electoral performance criteria specified in Section 225A of the amended 1999 Constitution, as well as the provisions set forth in the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.

The plaintiffs also contend that the five parties named in the lawsuit continuously failed to satisfy the necessary benchmarks to maintain their registrations.

The benchmarks that was pointed out include; winning at least 25 percent of the votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective position at any level—national, state, or local government.

According to the former legislators, both the 2023 general elections and the subsequent by-elections conducted by INEC demonstrated that the ADC and the other parties did not succeed in obtaining seats in any significant government roles.

The plaintiffs argued that allowing the ADC and the other parties to remain as registered political entities undermines the integrity of the country’s electoral process and is, therefore, unlawful.

Among other requests, they urged the court to declare that INEC has a responsibility to deregister such parties and to compel the commission to act before preparations for the 2027 elections progress further.

Additionally, the plaintiffs sought an injunction to prohibit the five affected parties from participating in upcoming elections or engaging in political activities, such as campaigns, rallies, and primaries.

They also requested that INEC be restrained from recognizing or interacting with these parties in any official capacity until they fully comply with the constitutional requirements.

This ruling could significantly impact the prospects of candidates from the affected political parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as they eye the 2027 presidential election.