Court Orders Deregistration Of ADC, Accord And Other Parties

Court Orders Deregistration Of ADC, Accord And Other Parties

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress and Accord Party.

The ruling followed a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued recognition of the parties.

The court found that the affected parties failed to meet the constitutional requirements needed to retain their registration.

According to the case presented before the court, the parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, failing to secure the electoral benchmarks required by law.

Justice Peter Lifu ruled that INEC has a constitutional responsibility to enforce provisions relating to political parties that do not satisfy the required standards.

The plaintiffs argued that the continued operation of the parties weakens the integrity of the country’s electoral system and goes against constitutional provisions.

The judgment could reshape political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Politicians seeking to contest under the platforms of the affected parties may now face uncertainty as attention shifts to INEC’s next steps regarding the court’s directive.