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 for failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The affected parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Peter Lifu issued the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, the group argued that INEC has a constitutional duty under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and its own regulations to deregister political parties that fail to meet the prescribed electoral performance thresholds.
The plaintiffs contended that the five parties failed to secure the minimum electoral requirements, including winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or obtaining at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
According to the former lawmakers, the parties performed poorly in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections, failing to win seats across the various levels of government.
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They argued that allowing the parties to retain their registration despite their poor electoral performance undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
In its judgment, the court agreed with the plaintiffs and directed INEC to deregister the five parties.
The plaintiffs had also asked the court to bar the affected parties from participating in elections, conducting campaigns, holding rallies or primaries, and to restrain INEC from recognising or dealing with them unless they fully comply with constitutional requirements.
The ruling could have significant political implications ahead of the 2027 general election, particularly for politicians seeking to contest on the platforms of the affected parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has been linked with the ADC in ongoing opposition coalition talks.