Breaking: Court Orders Deregistration of ADC, 4 Other Political Parties Ahead of 2027

• A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including ADC and Accord, for failing to meet constitutional requirements
• Justice Peter Lifu directed INEC to deregister the affected parties and bar them from participating in the 2027 general elections
• The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, who argued the parties failed to secure 25% of votes in the last general elections

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties over their failure to comply with constitutional requirements for political parties in Nigeria.

Justice Peter Lifu issued the order, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties immediately. According to Channels TV, the five parties affected by the ruling are:

• African Democratic Congress (ADC)
• Accord (A)
• Action Alliance (AA)
• Action Peoples Party (APP)
• Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)

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Constitutional Breach: Failure to secure 25% of votes

Justice Lifu ruled that the five parties had failed to secure 25 per cent of votes in the last general elections, a requirement under the provisions of Nigerian law for political parties to remain registered and active.

The judge also dismissed all multiple preliminary objections filed by the defendants before delivering the substantive judgment, Channels Television reported.

2027 elections: Parties barred from participating

Beyond ordering their deregistration, Justice Lifu directed INEC not to allow the five parties to participate in subsequent elections, specifically including the 2027 general polls, having found that they failed to meet the constitutional threshold.

The suit was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the five political parties.

The forum named INEC as the first defendant and also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in the case.

The forum argued that the affected political parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance.

The group contended that political parties were required to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to remain relevant under the law.

The forum urged the court to order the deregistration of the parties, insisting that none of the defendants had effectively countered its arguments.

ADC announces 2027 VP

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 general election.

The party said Amaechi’s selection followed wide consultations and was influenced by his performance during the ADC presidential primary, where he emerged as the runner-up, as well as his extensive experience in public service.