A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties over their alleged failure to meet constitutional electoral requirements.
The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, followed a suit seeking the enforcement of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers INEC to deregister political parties that fail to satisfy stipulated electoral performance benchmarks.
The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties failed to secure at least 25 percent of votes in any state during presidential elections and also failed to win elective offices at the national, state, or local government levels.
According to the suit, the parties performed poorly during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission.
The plaintiffs further contended that allowing the parties to remain registered despite their weak electoral performance undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
They therefore asked the court to compel INEC to immediately deregister the parties before preparations for the 2027 general elections fully commence.
The suit also sought orders restraining the affected parties from conducting primaries, organising rallies, participating in elections, or carrying out political activities pending compliance with constitutional provisions.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu upheld the arguments of the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to proceed with the deregistration of the five political parties.
The ruling is expected to trigger fresh political debates ahead of the 2027 elections, especially among opposition parties and emerging political coalitions.
