A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties — the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) — for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that the parties did not satisfy the threshold outlined in Section 225A of the Constitution and directed INEC to remove them from its register, reducing the number of recognised parties from 22 to 17 if implemented.
The ruling sparked strong reactions from opposition figures, including former Senate President David Mark, Peter Obi and associates of Atiku Abubakar, who condemned the decision and vowed to challenge it on appeal.
The affected parties argued that a subsisting Court of Appeal order should have halted proceedings. However, Justice Lifu maintained that no valid stay of proceedings was before the court.
While critics described the judgment as a threat to multiparty democracy, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido defended the verdict, urging respect for judicial decisions and constitutional processes.
