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

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties over their alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.

The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The judgment was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu following a suit instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued registration of the affected political parties.

The plaintiffs argued that the parties failed to satisfy the electoral performance thresholds stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, alongside relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC regulations.

According to the suit, political parties are required to achieve certain electoral benchmarks, including securing a specified percentage of votes in elections or winning elective offices at the federal, state, or local government levels.

The forum maintained that the affected parties performed poorly during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to secure representation across critical levels of government.

It further argued that the continued recognition of the parties despite their electoral performance was inconsistent with constitutional provisions governing political party registration and participation.

The plaintiffs urged the court to declare that INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister parties that fail to meet the prescribed electoral standards.

After reviewing the arguments presented, the court held that the electoral commission is required to enforce the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions and directed INEC to deregister the affected political parties.

The ruling is expected to generate significant political and legal discussions as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections.

Observers believe the decision could have broader implications for Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly regarding the regulation and participation of political parties in future elections.