Federal High Court Directs INEC to Remove ADC, APP, AA, Accord, ZLP from Party Register

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over their alleged failure to satisfy constitutional requirements for continued registration.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in a suit instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

Also affected by the ruling are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The lawsuit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, sought judicial clarification on whether INEC is obligated under the Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, and its own regulations to deregister parties that fail to achieve prescribed electoral performance standards.

According to the plaintiffs, the affected parties did not meet the constitutional benchmarks, which include obtaining at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or winning at least one elective office at the national, state, or local government level.

The former legislators argued that the parties failed to achieve these requirements in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, leaving them without meaningful electoral representation.

They maintained that allowing such parties to remain registered undermines the credibility and effectiveness of Nigeria’s democratic process.

The plaintiffs therefore asked the court to direct INEC to remove the parties from its register and prevent them from taking part in future electoral activities.

They also sought orders barring the parties from organising rallies, primaries, campaigns, and other political engagements unless they fully comply with constitutional provisions.

The ruling is expected to generate significant political debate, particularly as it may affect the ambitions of politicians preparing for the 2027 elections, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whose political future has recently been associated with the ADC platform.

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