KEY POINTS

• A Federal High Court ordered INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord and four other parties.
• The court said the parties failed to meet constitutional performance thresholds under Section 225A.
• Atiku, Mark and Adeleke vowed to stay on the 2027 ballot, citing a Court of Appeal stay order.

Leaders of the African Democratic Congress and Accord have rejected a Federal High Court ruling that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister their parties and four others. The ADC warned that the APC-led Federal Government is “playing with fire,” while its candidates vowed to remain on the ballot in 2027.

Why the court ordered deregistration

Justice Peter Lifu ordered INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord, the Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance and the Zenith Labour Party. According to the court, the five parties failed to meet the constitutional thresholds for continued existence, so it barred INEC from recognizing them or accepting their candidates for the 2027 elections.

The judgment followed a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the parties persistently fell short of Section 225A requirements. Notably, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, backed the plaintiff, arguing that INEC has no discretion to retain parties that miss the legal benchmark. However, INEC and the five parties opposed the suit, and Accord had earlier secured a Court of Appeal order on May 22 staying further proceedings until October 27.

Opposition vows to fight concerning party deregistration order

Despite the verdict, ADC National Chairman David Mark insisted the party would contest in 2027. “The ADC will be on the ballot in 2027,” he said, describing the ruling as a temporary setback that the appeal process would overturn. Furthermore, the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it would petition the National Judicial Council, because the judge ruled despite the subsisting appeal court order.

Similarly, ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar condemned the judgment as a “dangerous assault on constitutional democracy.” According to him, the ruling fits a pattern of political persecution. “The Tinubu administration is singularly focused on eliminating major political opponents ahead of 2027,” he said, while urging members to pursue lawful avenues.

Meanwhile, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord candidate in the August 15 governorship poll, called the judgment an abuse of process that violated the appeal court’s order. Consequently, he urged residents to stay calm and assured them that Accord would appear on the ballot.

In addition, AAC’s Omoyele Sowore branded the move undemocratic, and NDC candidate Peter Obi warned against sacrificing institutions on the altar of politics. Ultimately, both stressed that a weakened judiciary erodes the trust on which democracy and investment depend.