By Peace Erewunmi

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and three other political parties over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements.

The judgment was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu following a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which challenged the continued existence of some political parties that, according to the plaintiffs, failed to meet the minimum requirements for registration and continued recognition.

In the ruling, the court directed INEC to deregister the affected parties on the grounds that they allegedly did not meet the required electoral performance benchmarks, including winning elective positions or obtaining the minimum threshold of votes in national elections as required by law.

The affected parties reportedly include the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The court held that political parties must demonstrate measurable electoral relevance to justify continued recognition under Nigeria’s constitutional and electoral framework.

The decision is expected to have significant political implications ahead of future elections, as it may reduce the number of officially recognized parties in the country if fully enforced.

However, the ruling is subject to legal procedures, and the Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to take necessary administrative steps or consider possible appeals in line with established judicial processes.

As of the time of filing this report, neither INEC nor the affected political parties had issued an official detailed response to the court order.