Court Directs INEC to Remove ADC, Four Other Parties from Register

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

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

The ruling followed a suit filed by a group of former lawmakers, who argued that the parties no longer qualified to remain registered under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to the plaintiffs, the parties failed to attain the minimum electoral benchmarks required by law, including winning elective offices or securing at least 25 percent of votes in a state during presidential elections.

They maintained that the parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, making their continued registration inconsistent with constitutional provisions.

The group further urged the court to compel INEC to remove the parties from its register ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections. They also sought restrictions preventing the affected parties from conducting political activities, including rallies, primaries, and participation in elections.

Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu agreed with the plaintiffs' submissions and directed INEC to commence the deregistration of the five political parties.

Benita Ibrahim