A Federal High Court in Abuja has officially ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately deregister five active political parties for failing to meet the strict constitutional benchmarks required to retain their official recognition.
The landmark judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, directly targets five notable opposition parties:
- African Democratic Congress (ADC)
- Accord Party (AP)
- Action Alliance (AA)
- Action Peoples Party (APP)
- Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
The legal battle was initiated through a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The former lawmakers argued that under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), INEC is legally bound to prune the political ecosystem of non-performing entities. According to the plaintiffs, these five parties performed abysmally in both the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections. They systematically failed to hit the mandatory constitutional threshold, which includes winning at least 25 percent of the votes in at least one state during the presidential poll, or clinching at least one elective seat at the local, state, or federal level.
Agreeing completely with the litigants, Justice Lifu ruled that the continued existence of these non-compliant parties is unlawful and clutters Nigeria’s electoral framework. Beyond ordering INEC to remove them from the official register, the court issued an injunction restraining the affected parties from organizing conventions, holding rallies, conducting primaries, or participating in any future elections—including the highly anticipated 2027 general elections.
As expected, the verdict has sent shockwaves through the political landscape and provoked fierce resistance. Leaders under the umbrella of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have vehemently rejected the judgment, with the leadership of the Accord Party and the ADC labeling it a flagrant disregard of existing legal precedents and vowing to immediately appeal the decision. With political heavyweight alignments already shifting in anticipation of the 2027 polls, this aggressive contraction of the ballot paper stands as one of the most defining and polarizing legal developments of the year.
