Abuja, Nigeria – A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party, over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The affected parties are ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The judgment followed a suit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the parties had failed to satisfy electoral performance thresholds stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The plaintiffs contended that INEC was under a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that failed to secure the minimum electoral benchmarks required by law.
They maintained that the continued recognition of such parties undermined electoral integrity and imposed unnecessary administrative burdens on the electoral system.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, had generated significant attention in recent months, particularly following attempts by some politicians and party members to halt proceedings and join the suit.
However, the court declined several of those applications and proceeded to determine the substantive matter.
The ruling is expected to have major implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, especially for parties seeking to build opposition coalitions and expand their electoral influence.
INEC has yet to issue an official statement on the implementation of the court’s order.
Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, Accord, three other political parties
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