The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over their failure to satisfy constitutional requirements for continued recognition as political parties in Nigeria.
Delivering judgment on Monday, June 15, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu held that the affected parties failed to attain the minimum electoral performance stipulated by law and therefore no longer qualified to retain their registration.
The parties affected by the ruling are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The court consequently ordered INEC to commence the process of removing the parties from its register and barred them from participating in future electoral contests, including the 2027 general elections.
Justice Lifu also dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defendants, ruling that the objections lacked merit and could not stand in the face of the substantive issues brought before the court.
The judgment followed a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026. The group had challenged the continued existence of the parties, arguing that they failed to meet constitutional benchmarks relating to electoral spread and voter support.
INEC was listed as the first defendant in the suit, while the Attorney-General of the Federation was joined as a party.
According to the plaintiffs, political parties are expected to demonstrate a reasonable level of electoral relevance by securing at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections. They contended that the five parties had fallen short of this requirement and therefore ought to be deregistered in line with constitutional provisions.
The forum further argued that none of the affected parties provided convincing evidence to justify their continued recognition by the electoral commission.
The ruling is expected to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, potentially reducing the number of parties on the ballot and narrowing the field for electoral competition.
The decision also places fresh pressure on smaller political parties to build stronger grassroots support and improve their electoral fortunes if they hope to survive future legal and constitutional scrutiny.
