A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party (AP), over their poor electoral performance.
The court also directed the deregistration of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), ruling that the parties failed to meet constitutional requirements for retaining their registration.
The lawsuit was filed by a group of former lawmakers who argued that the affected parties did not satisfy the performance benchmarks outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution. According to the plaintiffs, the parties failed to secure the required votes or win elective positions during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections.
They maintained that allowing the parties to remain registered despite their electoral performance undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process and violates constitutional provisions.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu agreed with the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to proceed with the deregistration of the five political parties ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The ruling is expected to spark political reactions, particularly as opposition parties continue to strategise and build alliances ahead of the next election cycle.
