Veritas News Hub | Politics & Governance Desk | Abuja, April 13, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and four other political parties for failing to meet constitutional performance requirements.
Justice Peter Lifu gave the order in a judgment delivered on Monday following a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The court directed INEC to remove ADC, Action Peoples Party, APP, Action Alliance, AA, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, from its register of recognized political parties.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional duty to deregister parties that fail to meet electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Section 225A provides that INEC may deregister a political party if it fails to win at least one seat in the National Assembly or State House of Assembly in a general election, or if its membership falls below the requirements set by law and INEC regulations. The Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s own guidelines reinforce these thresholds.
The National Forum of Former Legislators argued that the five parties had consistently failed to meet the minimum performance standards in successive elections, and that INEC was constitutionally obligated to act. Justice Lifu upheld the argument and ordered immediate deregistration.
As of press time, INEC had not issued an official statement on the judgment or confirmed when it would effect the deregistration. The commission has previously carried out mass deregistration of parties in 2020 after the Supreme Court upheld its powers under Section 225A.
Party officials of ADC, APP, AA, Accord, and ZLP were also yet to respond publicly to the court ruling. The affected parties have a history of contesting local government, state, and federal elections, though none secured seats in the 2023 general elections that would have met the constitutional threshold.
The judgment could reshape Nigeria’s multiparty landscape ahead of future elections. Nigeria currently has 19 registered political parties. If INEC complies, the number will drop to 14, reducing ballot complexity but also limiting voter options.
Political analysts say deregistration based on performance is meant to strengthen democracy by weeding out “briefcase parties” with no grassroots structure or electoral value. Critics, however, argue it could shrink political competition and make it harder for new movements to grow.
“Section 225A was introduced to ensure parties are serious about contesting and winning elections, not just existing on paper,” a constitutional lawyer told Veritas News Hub. “But there must also be room for opposition and minority voices to develop over time.”
Civil society groups said they would study the judgment’s full text before reacting. Some expressed concern about due process, while others supported the idea of enforcing minimum standards.
The National Forum of Former Legislators, the plaintiff in the case, said the ruling reinforces accountability in the political system. In court filings, the group argued that parties which fail to win representation should not continue to enjoy public funding, INEC resources, and ballot access.
INEC is expected to either comply with the court order or file an appeal if it disagrees with the interpretation of Section 225A. If deregistered, members of the affected parties can join other registered parties or form new ones, provided they meet INEC’s registration requirements.
The order also raises questions for candidates who may have been preparing to contest under the affected party banners in upcoming by-elections or the 2027 general elections. Those candidates would now need to defect to other parties or risk losing ballot access.
This is not the first time INEC has deregistered parties for poor performance. In 2020, the commission deregistered 74 parties after the 2019 elections, citing the same constitutional provision. The Supreme Court later upheld INEC’s action, ruling that the commission had the power to clean up the register.
The current judgment by Justice Lifu adds five more parties to that list and signals that INEC is under judicial pressure to strictly apply performance benchmarks.
For now, the political space waits to see INEC’s next move and how the affected parties respond. The decision will likely spark debate on balancing party proliferation with democratic inclusion.
Veritas News Hub will continue to monitor developments and bring updates as INEC and the affected parties issue official responses.
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