Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ademola Adeleke may have suffered a major political setback ahead of the 2027 general election and the 2026 governorship election in Osun State, respectively, following a Federal High Court judgement ordering the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Accord Party, alongside three other political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the ruling on Monday in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the five parties for failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds.
The other political parties affected by the judgement were the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The plaintiff had asked the court to determine whether INEC was constitutionally obligated to deregister political parties that failed to satisfy the requirements set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The suit also relied on provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC regulations, which were cited as reinforcing the constitutional conditions for the registration and continued existence of political parties.
According to the National Forum of Former Legislators, the five parties had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.
The group argued that the parties neither secured the minimum electoral performance required by law nor won elective positions at the national, state or local government levels.
Under the constitutional provisions cited before the court, political parties are expected to secure at least 25 per cent of votes cast in a state during a presidential election or win at least one elective seat at the federal, state or local government level to justify their continued registration.
The plaintiff told the court that the ADC, Accord Party and the three other affected parties performed poorly in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections, failing to win seats across critical levels of government.
It argued that their continued existence as recognised political parties was unlawful and undermined the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
Among the reliefs sought, the plaintiff asked the court to declare that INEC was duty-bound to deregister political parties that fail to meet the constitutional requirements and to compel the electoral commission to carry out the exercise before preparations for the 2027 elections advance further.
The group also sought an order restraining the five parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies and primary elections, while asking the court to prohibit INEC from recognising or dealing with them unless they fully comply with constitutional provisions.
In his judgement, Justice Lifu granted the reliefs sought and ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties.
The ruling could have significant implications for the political future of several prominent politicians ahead of the 2027 elections.
Atiku has recently won ADC presidential ticket for the as part of efforts by opposition leaders to build a coalition platform capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in the next presidential election.
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Similarly, Adeleke has won Accord Party governorship ticket in his State amid growing speculation about possible political realignments ahead of the polls.
With the court ordering the deregistration of both parties and otehrs, the political calculations of their members and prospective candidates may now face fresh uncertainty pending any appeal or further legal action.
