The Independent National Electoral Commission has opposed a court application seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress. In a legal filing, INEC stated the move does not meet constitutional or statutory requirements for removing a political party. The commission emphasized that deregistration powers are strictly defined by law and cannot be triggered by political considerations. It confirmed no evidence had been presented showing the ADC failed electoral performance thresholds or violated registration conditions. "The power to deregister political parties is neither discretionary nor subject to political pressure, but strictly governed by extant laws and constitutional provisions," INEC submitted. Legal observers note the stance undermines the case, given INEC's authority in party regulation. Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, called the effort politically driven. "What we are witnessing is the unravelling of a poorly scripted political ambush designed to cripple opposition voices," Shaibu said. He said INEC's intervention exposes the application's legal flaws. "The fact that INEC itself has come forward to puncture the legal vacuum of this application speaks volumes," he added. Shaibu warned against shrinking Nigeria's democratic space through indirect means. The case remains before the court.
INEC's refusal to back the ADC's deregistration exposes a mismatch between legal procedure and political intent. The commission's own rules shield parties from arbitrary removal, yet the attempt still reached court. Atiku Abubakar's associate Phrank Shaibu sees a pattern of targeting opposition, and INEC's stance gives weight to that claim. Nigerians named in such cases face political risk even when legal grounds are absent.
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