A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu gave the order on Monday after throwing out all preliminary objections from the defendants. He ruled that the parties failed to win at least 25 per cent of votes in the last general elections, as the Constitution requires.
The parties affected are ADC, Accord, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party. Justice Lifu directed INEC to remove them from its register and stop them from contesting any future elections, including the 2027 general polls.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The group joined the Attorney-General of the Federation in the suit and named INEC as the first defendant.
The forum told the court that political parties must show national spread and electoral performance to remain registered. It argued that the five parties did not meet that threshold, and keeping them on the register would weaken the law.
With this judgment, the five parties lose official recognition. They cannot field candidates in subsequent elections unless they re-register and satisfy all legal conditions again.