Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party and several other political parties over alleged constitutional violations.
The ruling was delivered on Monday in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued registration of the affected political parties.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted against INEC and a number of political parties, including the ADC, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.
The judgment carries significant political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections. With the deregistration order, the ADC would no longer be available as a platform for its candidates unless the ruling is overturned on appeal or otherwise stayed by a higher court.
The development also affects politicians associated with the impacted parties. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who emerged as the ADC’s presidential candidate, could be left without the party platform for the 2027 presidential election, while Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s reported re-election bid on the Accord Party platform may also be affected.
Justice Lifu held that the affected parties had breached constitutional requirements, leading to the order directing INEC to remove them from the list of registered political parties eligible to participate in future elections. The ruling is expected to trigger legal and political reactions from the affected parties and their supporters.
Elijah Adeyemi
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