A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties over what it described as constitutional and electoral infractions.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on Monday, followed a suit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which challenged the continued existence of the affected parties because they failed to meet constitutional requirements for political party operations in Nigeria.
The court held that the parties failed to satisfy key constitutional benchmarks relating to electoral performance and compliance with provisions governing the registration and retention of political parties. The suit sought the enforcement of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the deregistration of parties that fail to meet stipulated legal requirements.
The affected parties had opposed the suit and urged the court to dismiss it, arguing that the action lacked merit. However, after hearing final submissions from all parties, the court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs.
The case has attracted significant public attention ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections, particularly because some of the affected parties have recently featured in national political realignments.
List of parties ordered to be deregistered
- African Democratic Congress (ADC)
- Accord Party
- Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
- Action Alliance (AA)
- Action Peoples Party (APP)
The judgment is expected to trigger fresh legal and political debates, with appeals likely from some of the affected parties.
