The Federal High Court delivered a landmark ruling on Monday when Justice Peter Lifu ordered the deregistration of five political parties. The decision affected the African Democratic Congress and four others over failure to satisfy constitutional thresholds.
Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the parties breached Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution. The Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators filed the suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission and the affected parties.
The plaintiffs argued that the parties failed to secure at least 25 percent of votes in any state during the 2023 presidential election or win elective seats.
The court directed INEC to remove the parties from its register. It also barred them from participating in subsequent elections, including the 2027 general polls.
The deregistered parties include the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party. These parties faced scrutiny for their performance in recent elections. The ruling came after several months of legal proceedings that began earlier in 2026.
The National Forum of Former Legislators initiated the case to compel INEC to enforce deregistration rules. Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi supported the move in court filings. He emphasized that continued registration of non-compliant parties undermined electoral integrity.
The judgment emerged amid preparations for future elections. Affected parties previously joined opposition efforts and attracted notable politicians.
The decision reshaped Nigeria’s multi-party system. INEC received clear instructions to implement the order immediately. Legal observers noted that the parties might pursue appeals to challenge the ruling.
The development highlighted ongoing debates about compliance with constitutional standards for political parties in the country.
