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).
According to Vanguard, the other affected parties are the Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu following a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the parties had failed to meet the constitutional requirements needed to retain their registration.
According to the plaintiffs, the affected parties did not achieve the minimum electoral performance benchmarks stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022. These requirements include securing at least 25 percent of votes in a state during a presidential election or winning at least one elective seat at the federal, state, or local government level.
The former lawmakers told the court that the five parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to secure representation across key levels of government.
In its judgment, the court held that INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that fail to meet the prescribed electoral thresholds and ordered the commission to take the necessary steps against the affected parties.
The ruling is expected to have significant political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly for politicians seeking to contest on the platforms of the affected parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
