BREAKING: Federal High Court Orders Deregistration Of ADC, Four Other Political Parties, Bars Them From 2027 Elections

Abuja, Nigeria — The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over their failure to meet constitutional requirements for political party recognition and continued participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately deregister the affected parties, ruling that they failed to secure the constitutionally required electoral performance threshold in the last general elections.

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

In a far-reaching decision that could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, Justice Lifu further ordered INEC not to permit the five parties to participate in any future elections, including the 2027 polls.

The court held that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional provisions requiring political parties to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to maintain their legal status and relevance within the country’s democratic framework.

Before delivering the judgment, Justice Lifu dismissed multiple preliminary objections filed by the affected political parties and other defendants, clearing the way for a determination of the substantive issues raised in the suit.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued registration of the five political parties.

The plaintiff joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as a party in the suit and listed INEC as the 1st defendant.

The forum argued that the political parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance, maintaining that their continued existence on the register of political parties was inconsistent with the provisions of the law.

According to the plaintiff, none of the affected parties demonstrated the level of electoral support required under the Constitution, particularly the threshold of securing at least 25 per cent of votes in relevant elections.

The group urged the court to compel INEC to enforce the constitutional provisions by deregistering the parties, insisting that the defendants failed to effectively rebut the legal arguments presented against them.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff’s submissions and ordered INEC to take immediate steps to remove the parties from its register and prevent them from participating in future electoral contests.