…Mark vows judgment will be overturned before 2027
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties, a ruling that could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment yesterday, directed INEC to remove the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) from its register, holding that they failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The suit was instituted by a group of former lawmakers who argued that the affected parties had consistently failed to satisfy the performance thresholds stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). They contended that the parties neither secured the required electoral support nor won elective positions at the national, state, or local government levels during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections.
The plaintiffs maintained that allowing the parties to remain registered despite their poor electoral performance violated constitutional provisions and weakened the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system. They therefore urged the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties before preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu upheld the plaintiffs’ arguments and ordered INEC to proceed with the deregistration of the five parties.
However, the judgment was met with swift resistance from the leadership of the ADC, which described the decision as legally flawed and vowed to challenge it through the appellate courts.
Reacting to the ruling while receiving a delegation of party candidates in Abuja, ADC National Chairman, David Mark, urged party members and supporters not to lose hope, insisting that the judgment would not stand.
He described the verdict as “an arrow fired at the heart of Nigeria’s democracy” and argued that it was delivered despite an earlier Court of Appeal order staying proceedings in the matter and fixing October 27, 2027, for further hearing. “The judgment cannot stand. It will be set aside, because it does not pass the test of law and due process. Our democracy must be protected from actions that seek to undermine the constitutional rights of political parties and the choices available to Nigerians”, Mark said.
The former Senate President assured party faithful that the ADC would remain a viable political platform and would participate in the next general elections.
As of press time, INEC had yet to issue an official response to the court ruling, while the affected parties were expected to explore legal options to challenge the decision. The case is widely seen as one with significant implications for Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and the political contest leading to the 2027 general elections.
