A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties for failing to meet constitutional electoral requirements.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Monday, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties after finding that they did not meet the required electoral performance threshold.
The parties affected include ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and the Zenith Labour Party.
The court held that the parties failed to secure the required spread and vote performance in the last general elections, as argued by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, who filed the suit against them, with INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation joined as defendants.
Justice Lifu also restrained the affected parties from participating in future elections, including the 2027 general elections, in line with the court’s interpretation of the constitutional provisions on political party registration and performance.
INEC, which oversees party registration and regulation, is expected to enforce the ruling following the judgment delivered at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
