The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
According to Vanguard newspaper, Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling after a group of former members of the National Assembly filed a suit seeking the court to affirm that INEC has a legal duty to strike out any party that fails to meet the conditions set by the constitution to remain a registered party.
The plaintiffs stated that the five parties failed to achieve the legally required results in the 2023 elections and subsequent by-elections, as they did not win any elective seats at the federal, state, or local government levels.
The court agreed with the argument that continuing to allow these parties to remain in the political system violates legal provisions, and ordered INEC to deregister them before preparations for the 2027 elections go further.
Reports indicate that the ruling could affect the chances of some candidates, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, if they intend to run under the affected parties in the 2027 presidential election.