Federal High Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Three Other Parties

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a ruling on Monday ordering INEC to strike the African Democratic Congress, alongside the Action People's Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party, from its official list. The decision emerged from litigation initiated by the National Forum of Former Legislators, who contended these organizations failed to satisfy minimum electoral performance thresholds.

According to the court's reasoning, all four parties fell short of constitutional standards specified in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and provisions within the Electoral Act 2022. Party officials and allied figures have mounted vigorous opposition to the judgment.

The ADC's national spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, denounced it as fundamentally at odds with existing judicial orders and constitutional protections regarding INEC autonomy and judicial independence. ADC leadership views the ruling as deeply damaging to Nigeria's democratic institutions and political pluralism, pledging to exhaust legal avenues in mounting a challenge.

Atiku Abubakar's representatives—given his prior association with the ADC during 2023 presidential balloting—likewise condemned the order, characterizing it as a maneuver designed to consolidate single-party control. The Kwara chapter of the ADC added its voice to the backlash, asserting the decision was driven by political considerations rather than neutral judicial interpretation and represented an attack on Nigeria's competitive electoral landscape.

Omoyele Sowore, presidential contender representing the African Action Congress, similarly decried the deregistration as undemocratic and fundamentally incompatible with genuine multi-party governance. He emphasized that the affected organizations had already held internal nomination processes and made electoral preparations for upcoming contests.

According to communications from Atiku's group, a subsequent hearing has been scheduled for October 27, 2026, indicating the matter will remain under active litigation. The controversy underscores persistent disagreements surrounding electoral thresholds, their enforcement mechanisms by INEC, and institutional procedures governing party registration maintenance as Nigeria approaches the 2027 electoral cycle.

The tribunal's directive has catalyzed wider discussions about standards governing how political entities retain official standing in the country.