Aniefiok Christopher
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Federal High Court ruling ordering INEC to deregister ADC and some other political parties.
Reacting via X on Monday, Paul Ibe, an aide to Atiku, also the former Vice President, described the judgment as an attempt to weaken opposition parties and push Nigeria toward a one-party state.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu had ordered the deregistration of the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action People’s Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and others following a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
Ibe, however, argued that the ruling should not have been delivered because an appeal on the matter is still pending before the Court of Appeal.
He accused the ruling party of trying to manipulate the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that weakening opposition parties would undermine democracy and limit Nigerians’ political choices.
Recall that ADC had announced former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
ADC opposes the Court’s ruling
Similarly, ADC has accused unnamed government agents of seeking to use the judiciary to undermine democracy, warning that any attempt to deregister the party could trigger a major political crisis.
A statement posted on X on Monday condemned a reported judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja in a case filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators seeking the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties.
The opposition party said it was “deeply alarmed” by the judgment, describing it as one that “stands in direct conflict with constitutional principles and all known judicial processes and procedures.”
According to the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in a counter-affidavit filed before the court in May, maintained that the party had not breached any constitutional or legal requirements that would justify its deregistration.
The party stated that INEC “categorically maintained that the ADC had not violated any registration requirements, had not failed any constitutional electoral-performance threshold, and that no legally recognised basis existed for its de-registration.”
It added that INEC had also made it clear that “the de-registration of a political party cannot be driven by political pressure, sentiment, or the wishes of interested parties.”
The ADC further questioned the conduct of Justice Lifu, alleging that he proceeded with the matter despite a subsisting order from the Court of Appeal issued on May 22, 2026, directing a stay of proceedings.
“The judge, however, chose to flagrantly and contemptuously disregard a clear order of a superior court in a manner that brings into question all known judicial traditions,” the party said.
The ADC described the development as “not merely a legal dispute, but a dangerous escalation capable of destabilising the nation’s democratic process.”
The party also alleged that individuals linked to the President’s Chief of Staff had championed the case and criticised the decision of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to join the matter as a plaintiff.
“The decision of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who is a second defendant in the matter, to join the matter as a plaintiff in April, is an absurdity, which sends a signal that is impossible to ignore,” it said.
The ADC argued that the timing of the ruling was suspicious, coming after it had concluded its primaries and fielded candidates for elective offices ahead of the next general election, including the presidential race.
The party warned that efforts to remove it from the political landscape through court action could have serious consequences.
“Any attempt to eliminate the country’s major opposition party through judicial manoeuvring, thereby sabotaging the political aspirations of hundreds of its candidates, is a direct invitation to anarchy,” the statement said.
The ADC also issued a broader warning to those it accused of attempting to shrink the democratic space.
“Those who believe they can manipulate institutions of state to narrow the democratic space must understand that they are playing with forces far greater than partisan interests,” it said.
The party maintained that political actors should focus on addressing Nigeria’s economic and security challenges rather than targeting opposition parties, saying it was “deeply disturbing that powerful forces appear more interested in eliminating political opposition than confronting the real crises.”
Court orders INEC to de-register ADC, Others
The Federal High Court, Abuja, Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The judge, Peter Lifu, made the order in a judgment on Monday.
Lifu noted that the affected parties breached Section 225 of the Nigerian constitution.
The section gives INEC the power to deregister political parties that have failed to win any elective position in the previous round of elections at the federal, state and local government levels.
The judgment will lead to a deluge of disqualifications of candidates running for elective offices in the 2027 general elections and the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections slated for June nas August in Ekiti and Osun states.
The suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators against INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the affected opposition parties.
Other parties listed in the suit and affected by the court’s deregistration order are Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The plaintiffs argued that the parties no longer met the constitutional threshold for continued existence as registered political parties.
They relied on Section 225(a) of the Constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act, insisting the parties failed to win elective seats or meet minimum requirements in elections.
They asked the court to hold that INEC has a constitutional duty to deregister political parties that fail to meet the legal conditions.
The plaintiffs also sought an order compelling INEC to remove the parties from its register and restrain them from participating in future elections.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, joined as a defendant in the suit, threw his office behind the suit and the prayers sought.
The judgment will have far-reaching implications for the upcoming general elections, which are about seven to eight months away, and the off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti mad Osun states.
Notable candidates in the firing line of the verdict are Atiku Abubakar, who recently emerge as the presidential candidate of the ADC, and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking second term in office on the platform of Accord in the governorship election slated for August.
