The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed March 24 to rule on a crucial application in a suit seeking the deregistration of four political parties — the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance (AA).
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/25, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the affected parties.
Originally filed against ADC alone, the case was later amended to include three additional parties. The plaintiffs argue that the continued recognition of these parties allegedly violates constitutional provisions governing electoral performance thresholds.
Under Section 225(A) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 75(4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC is empowered to deregister political parties that fail to meet specific electoral benchmarks — such as winning seats at any level of government or securing at least 25 per cent of votes in one state during a presidential election.
The plaintiffs contend that INEC has failed in its constitutional duty by allowing parties that have allegedly not met these requirements to remain registered.
Tuesday’s proceedings witnessed mild drama when two separate lawyers appeared for Action Alliance, each claiming legitimate authority to represent the party. Justice Peter Lifu directed both counsel to reconcile their differences, warning that the court would take necessary action if they failed to resolve the representation dispute.
Meanwhile, counsel to Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), sought leave to file a further counter-affidavit, arguing that additional facts needed to be placed before the court in the interest of justice. The plaintiff’s counsel, Yakubu Abdullahi Ruba (SAN), opposed the move, insisting no new issues were introduced to justify such filing.
Justice Lifu granted an extension of time for certain respondents to regularise their processes and adjourned to March 24 for ruling on the joinder application and other pending motions.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs are seeking declaratory orders compelling INEC to enforce constitutional thresholds strictly. They are also asking for mandatory and perpetual injunctions restraining the commission from recognising the affected parties pending compliance.
The NFFL argues that allowing allegedly non-compliant parties to contest in the 2027 general elections could overcrowd ballot papers, waste public resources, and undermine electoral integrity.
With the March 24 ruling approaching, the case could have significant implications for Nigeria’s political landscape — particularly for smaller parties seeking relevance ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Court to Decide Fate of ADC, Accord, ZLP, AA on March 24
