A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Accord Party, and three other political parties. Justice Peter Lifu issued the ruling on Monday, stating the parties failed to meet the requirements of Section 225 of the Nigerian Constitution. The judgment was delivered in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The court held that the affected parties do not satisfy the constitutional threshold for recognition as national political parties.
The ruling threatens the presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who ran under the ADC platform in the 2023 election. It also casts uncertainty over the re-election bid of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who contested on the Accord Party ticket. INEC has been directed to take immediate steps to implement the court's order. The electoral body has not issued a public response. The judgment does not specify the names of the three other parties ordered for deregistration.
Section 225 of the Constitution requires political parties to have registered branches in at least two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states. The court found the affected parties did not meet this condition. No appeal has been filed against the judgment as of the latest update. The parties concerned have not issued public statements.
Atiku Abubakar and Ademola Adeleke built their recent campaigns on parties the court now says never met constitutional requirements. Their candidacies were validated by INEC despite this deficiency. Voters who cast ballots for them did so under a process now legally undermined. The judgment raises immediate questions about the status of their political mandates.
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