The Social Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has denounced a Federal High Court ruling that led to the deregistration of several political parties, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to Nigeria's democracy. In a statement shared on X on Tuesday, Adebayo criticized the judicial action as undemocratic, particularly because it followed shortly after the country's Democracy Day celebrations. The affected parties include the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party. Adebayo, a lawyer, argued that dissolving political platforms through court orders backed by the government undermines democratic inclusion, even though his own party was not targeted. He described the move as a bad omen for democracy and said remaining silent would be a betrayal of democratic values. He pledged legal support to the affected parties to challenge the ruling. Adebayo also proposed amending the constitution to remove the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register or deregister political parties. Instead, he suggested that any group should be allowed to contest elections upon payment of a statutory deposit, which would be forfeited if the party fails to secure at least 10 percent of the vote in an election. He emphasized that Nigeria does not need more restrictions on political participation.
Adebayo condemns the court-ordered deregistration of opposition parties while offering legal help to reverse it, yet supports a system where parties lose deposits for poor performance—a mechanism that could also limit political space. His stance opposes state-driven disbanding of parties but accepts electoral barriers that achieve similar outcomes through financial penalties. The contradiction reveals a selective defense of political inclusion, shaped more by timing and targets than principle.
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