In a ruling that could significantly alter Nigeria’s political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections, 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), following their alleged failure to meet constitutional electoral performance requirements.<\/p>\n
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, directing INEC to deregister the ADC, the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).<\/p>\n
The ruling immediately places the future of several opposition politicians in doubt, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has been associated with the ADC’s political activities ahead of the next presidential election.<\/p>\n
The Case Against the Parties<\/strong><\/p>\n The lawsuit, marked FHC\/ABJ\/CS\/2637\/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties had consistently failed to satisfy constitutional thresholds necessary to retain registration as political parties.<\/p>\n At the heart of the dispute lies Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), a provision introduced to reduce the proliferation of inactive political parties and strengthen the electoral system.<\/p>\n According to the plaintiffs, the affected parties neither secured the required electoral spread nor won elective offices at various levels of government during recent elections. They argued that INEC had a constitutional obligation to remove such parties from the register.<\/p>\n Justice Lifu agreed with that argument, ruling that INEC should deregister the parties because they failed to achieve the minimum constitutional benchmarks.<\/p>\n A Long Legal Battle<\/strong><\/p>\n Monday’s judgment marks the culmination of a legal battle that has stretched across several months.<\/p>\n The case first gained prominence early in 2026 when the Federal High Court began hearing arguments over whether INEC had failed in its constitutional duty.<\/p>\n Several procedural battles followed:<\/p>\n The court fixed hearing dates in April and May 2026. The litigation became one of the most closely watched political cases in Nigeria because of its potential impact on opposition alignments before the 2027 elections.<\/p>\n Understanding Section 225A: Why the Constitution Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n To understand the significance of the judgment, it is necessary to revisit the constitutional reforms that transformed Nigeria’s party system.<\/p>\n Following years of criticism that dozens of registered parties existed only on paper, the National Assembly amended the Constitution to empower INEC to deregister parties that failed to demonstrate electoral viability.<\/p>\n The provision emerged after Nigeria experienced a dramatic expansion of political parties. At one point, more than 90 parties were registered for national elections.<\/p>\n Critics argued that many of these parties:<\/p>\n Had no nationwide structures. The constitutional amendment sought to create a more competitive and manageable political environment.<\/p>\n In 2020, INEC itself deregistered more than 70 political parties under similar provisions, triggering extensive litigation that largely upheld the commission’s powers. The current judgment appears to reinforce that precedent.<\/p>\n Why ADC Matters More Than the Others<\/strong><\/p>\n Although five parties were affected, attention has largely focused on the ADC.<\/p>\n Historically a minor party, the ADC gained prominence as a potential platform for opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 election cycle.<\/p>\n Over the past two years, the party became a rallying point for politicians seeking alternatives to Nigeria’s dominant parties.<\/p>\n The ADC’s profile rose sharply amid opposition restructuring efforts involving prominent figures such as:<\/p>\n Atiku Abubakar While political alliances have shifted repeatedly, the ADC became central to discussions about whether Nigeria’s fragmented opposition could unite against the ruling establishment.<\/p>\n The party has also been battling internal leadership disputes and multiple court cases over control of its structure.<\/p>\n The Atiku Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps no figure is more directly affected by the ruling than Atiku Abubakar.<\/p>\n The former vice president remains one of Nigeria’s most enduring presidential contenders, having contested multiple presidential elections since 1993.<\/p>\n His political journey spans:<\/p>\n The defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) With opposition forces struggling to present a united front, the ADC had increasingly been viewed as one possible vehicle for Atiku’s political ambitions.<\/p>\n If the ruling survives appeal, it could force another round of political realignment.<\/p>\n The immediate consequence of the judgment is legal uncertainty.<\/p>\n Several questions now arise:<\/p>\n Can the parties appeal?<\/p>\n Almost certainly.<\/p>\n Given the magnitude of the ruling, legal experts expect the affected parties to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal and potentially the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n Must INEC act immediately?<\/p>\n Not necessarily.<\/p>\n Court orders involving deregistration frequently become subject to appellate review. The practical implementation may depend on whether a stay of execution is granted.<\/p>\n What happens to party members?<\/p>\n If deregistration ultimately stands, elected officials and aspirants would likely need to migrate to other registered political parties before contesting future elections.<\/p>\n Could this reshape opposition politics?<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n The ruling may accelerate coalition talks among opposition groups seeking a viable platform for the 2027 elections.<\/p>\n INEC’s Delicate Position<\/strong><\/p>\n Interestingly, INEC had earlier resisted attempts to compel deregistration through litigation.<\/p>\n Court filings indicated that the electoral commission argued that party deregistration is governed by constitutional and statutory procedures and cannot simply be driven by political demands.<\/p>\n The commission now faces the challenge of balancing compliance with the court order against the possibility of pending appeals.<\/p>\n How INEC responds in the coming weeks could determine whether the judgment becomes an immediate political earthquake or merely the opening chapter in a longer legal contest.<\/p>\n A Test of Nigeria’s Multi-Party Democracy<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond the fate of five political parties, the judgment raises broader questions about Nigeria’s democratic architecture.<\/p>\n Supporters argue that enforcing constitutional thresholds strengthens accountability and prevents the electoral system from being cluttered by non-performing parties.<\/p>\n Critics contend that aggressive deregistration can narrow political competition and limit opportunities for emerging movements to challenge established parties.<\/p>\n The debate is not unique to Nigeria. Democracies across the world grapple with how to balance political pluralism against the need for viable, competitive party systems.<\/p>\n For now, the Federal High Court’s ruling has thrust that debate back into the national spotlight.<\/p>\n Whether the judgment survives appellate scrutiny may determine not only the future of the ADC and four other parties, but also the shape of Nigeria’s opposition politics as the race toward 2027 begins in earnest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a ruling that could significantly alter Nigeria’s political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections, 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), following their alleged failure to meet constitutional electoral performance requirements. Justice Peter Lifu delivered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":99145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[4127,3200,55,352,154,8192],"class_list":["post-99344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-politics","tag-accord","tag-adc","tag-atiku","tag-court","tag-inec","tag-lifu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=99344"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99345,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99344\/revisions\/99345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/99145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=99344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=99344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=99344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nPolitical actors sought joinders and stays of proceedings.
\nA planned June 5 judgment was postponed after the Court of Appeal granted a stay in favour of the Accord Party.
\nThe matter eventually returned before Justice Lifu, culminating in Monday’s ruling.<\/p>\n
\nWon virtually no votes.
\nExisted mainly to negotiate alliances.
\nComplicated ballot design and election administration.<\/p>\n
\nPeter Obi
\nNasir El-Rufai
\nDavid Mark.<\/p>\n
\nThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
\nThe Action Congress.
\nThe All Progressives Congress (APC).
\nReturn to the PDP.
\nSubsequent involvement in opposition coalition efforts.<\/p>\n