A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties in Nigeria for failing to meet the constitutional threshold on electoral performance.
Justice Peter Lifu on Monday ruled that the parties must be struck off the register of political parties maintained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The judge further directed the electoral body to bar the affected parties from contesting future elections, including the 2027 general polls.
The five parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that the parties had failed to secure at least 25 per cent of votes cast in the last general elections, as required under Nigerian law for a political party to retain its registered status.
The judge dismissed multiple preliminary objections raised by the defendants before delivering the substantive ruling.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, a group of former members of the National Assembly. The Attorney-General of the Federation was also joined as a party to the case.
The plaintiff argued that the affected parties had not met the constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance, and therefore could not lawfully remain on the register.
It insisted that none of the defendants had effectively countered the claims, and urged the court to order their deregistration.
The court agreed with the plaintiff’s submissions, ruling that the parties had failed to demonstrate the necessary electoral support required to remain recognised as political entities.
Justice Lifu ordered INEC to remove them from the official register and to prevent them from fielding candidates in any subsequent elections, including the next general elections.
The decision marks a significant enforcement of Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on political party viability. Under the country’s electoral laws, parties must demonstrate a minimum level of electoral acceptance, measured by votes obtained in national elections, to maintain their registration.
The affected parties have yet to announce whether they will appeal the ruling.
