The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for failing to meet constitutional requirements governing political party participation in Nigeria.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the affected parties did not satisfy the legal threshold required to retain their status as registered political parties.
The court consequently ordered INEC to remove them from its register and prevent them from participating in future elections, including the 2027 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).
Justice Lifu held that the parties failed to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in the relevant elections, as stipulated by the Constitution and electoral laws.
He also dismissed all preliminary objections raised by the defendants before proceeding to grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The group named INEC as the first defendant and also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in the case.
According to the plaintiff, the affected political parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral performance and spread.
The forum argued that political parties must attain a minimum electoral benchmark to justify their continued existence under the law.
It further maintained that none of the parties successfully challenged the arguments presented before the court, urging the judiciary to compel INEC to enforce the constitutional provisions governing party registration.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed with the submissions of the plaintiff and ordered the electoral commission to proceed with the deregistration process.
He also directed that the parties should not be allowed to participate in any subsequent electoral contests unless they meet the constitutional requirements.
The judgment is expected to have significant implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections, particularly for smaller political parties seeking to remain relevant in the country’s multi-party system.
The ruling comes amid ongoing debates over the viability of Nigeria’s numerous political parties and calls for stricter enforcement of constitutional provisions aimed at reducing the number of inactive or underperforming parties.
