A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties — and bar them from the 2027 polls — for failing to meet the constitutional 25 per cent vote threshold.
Five political parties just got their political futures cut short — at least according to a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja on Monday
Justice Peter Lifu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), after finding they failed to meet the constitutional requirements for political parties — specifically, securing at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections, as required by law.
The judge didn’t stop at deregistration either. He went further, ordering INEC not to allow any of the five parties to participate in subsequent elections — including the high-stakes 2027 general polls — having failed to meet the constitutional threshold. Before getting to the main ruling, Justice Lifu had already dismissed a string of preliminary objections filed by the defendants.
According to Daily Trust,The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was brought by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, who also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation to the suit, with INEC named as 1st defendant. Their argument: the affected parties had consistently failed to meet electoral spread and performance requirements, and the 25 per cent threshold rule exists precisely to weed out underperforming parties from Nigeria’s political register.
For the ADC in particular — a party that’s loomed large in opposition politics — this ruling, if it stands, would be a major blow.
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