Isaac Samuel
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Monday, holding that the affected parties breached provisions of Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers INEC to deregister political parties that fail to secure elective positions in federal, state or local government elections.
The parties affected by the ruling are ADC, Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The suit was instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators against INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the affected political parties. The plaintiffs argued that the parties no longer satisfied the constitutional and statutory conditions for retaining their status as registered political parties.
Relying on provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the plaintiffs contended that the parties failed to win elective offices or meet the minimum electoral thresholds required by law.
They consequently urged the court to compel INEC to remove the parties from its register and prevent them from participating in future elections.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), reportedly supported the suit and the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
The judgment is expected to have significant implications for the 2027 general elections as well as the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
If implemented immediately, the ruling could affect the candidacies of several prominent politicians contesting on the platforms of the affected parties.
Among those potentially impacted are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who recently emerged as the ADC’s presidential candidate, and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of Accord.
The decision is also expected to trigger legal and political debates over the future of the affected parties and the participation of their candidates in upcoming elections.
More details later.
