The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Ajibola Basiru, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He described the opposition party as inactive and unworthy of maintaining its registration as a political party in Nigeria. Basiru stated that ADC has failed to meet the threshold required for active participation in the nation's political process. He called on INEC to act promptly in removing the party from the list of registered political parties.
According to Basiru, political parties must demonstrate relevance and activity to retain their status. He argued that allowing non-functional parties to remain registered undermines the integrity of the electoral system. The APC secretary emphasized that INEC has the constitutional authority to review and revoke the registration of parties that no longer meet operational standards. His statement has reignited debate over the criteria for party deregistration in Nigeria.
Ajibola Basiru's push to remove ADC from the register exposes a double standard in how ruling party officials view electoral rules. If inactivity is grounds for deregistration, the same logic should apply to any party failing to field candidates or win measurable votes. This move appears less about principle and more about shrinking the opposition field. For Nigerian voters, it signals that survival in politics may depend more on power than performance.
