A climate of uncertainty now envelopes the presidential and second-term ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State respectively follow the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress, (ADC) and the Accord party alongside three other political parties.
While Atiku is the presidential candidate of the ADC in the January 16, 2027, general elections, Adeleke is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord party in a governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
The implication of the judgement, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, if upheld by the Supreme Court, is that the duo cannot participate in the elections.
The other political parties affect by the deregistration order the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Lifu, who dismissed multiple preliminary objections filed by the defendants, further ordered that INEC should bar the parties from participating in subsequent elections, including the 2027 general polls, for failing to meet the constitutional threshold.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the National Forum of Former Legislators had, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, prayed the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.
The plaintiff submitted that the five political parties listed as defendants in the matter had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.
The former legislators stressed that the requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
They argued that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.
The litigants contended that the continued existence of the ADC and the other defendants as recognised political parties was unlawful and undermined the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
Among other reliefs, the plaintiff sought the court’s order to declare that INEC was duty-bound to deregister such parties.
The former lawmakers further urged the court to compel the commission to deregister the five political parties before preparations for the 2027 elections advanced further.
Beyond declaratory reliefs, the plaintiff prayed the court to restrain the five affected parties from participating in general elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies, and primaries.
It also sought a court injunction restraining INEC from recognising or dealing with the parties in any official capacity unless and until they strictly complied with constitutional provisions.
