ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, has issued an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) along with four other political parties.

The court’s decision follows a legal challenge initiated by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which sought to compel the electoral umpire to remove the parties from its official register. The court found that the affected parties had breached Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which outlines the requirements for the continued registration and existence of political organizations.

Affected Political Parties

In addition to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the court’s order mandates the deregistration of the following entities:

       •  Action Peoples Party (APP)

       •  Action Alliance (AA)

       •  Accord Party (AP)

       •  Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)

Legal Basis for the Ruling

The ruling centers on Section 225 of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates political parties to maintain specific operational and administrative standards to remain eligible for electoral participation. The plaintiffs argued that these five parties failed to meet the constitutional thresholds required to function as registered political entities in Nigeria.

By granting the request of the National Forum of Former Legislators, the court has now placed a legal obligation on INEC to excise these parties from its records. This judicial intervention marks a significant development in the oversight of Nigeria's multi-party democratic system, emphasizing the importance of adherence to constitutional provisions by political organizations.

As of Monday, INEC has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the timeline for compliance with the court’s directive.