A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party and several other political parties over alleged violations of constitutional and electoral provisions.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu issued the ruling on Monday while delivering judgment in a suit brought by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, challenged the continued registration of a number of political parties, alleging that they failed to comply with constitutional requirements governing political party operations in Nigeria.
Parties affected by the court’s order include the ADC, Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, Action People’s Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), among others.
The judgment has far-reaching political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections. One of the major figures potentially affected is former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, whose platform for contesting the presidency could be jeopardised if the ruling is upheld.
Similarly, Ademola Adeleke may face uncertainty over his re-election bid. Adeleke, who is expected to seek a second term in the August 15 governorship election under the Accord Party, could be affected by the deregistration order.
The court held that INEC should proceed with the immediate deregistration of the affected parties, a decision that may trigger appeals and further legal battles as the political landscape begins to take shape ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Neither INEC nor the affected political parties had officially reacted to the judgment as of the time of filing this report.
