‘We Won’t Be Silenced’: ADC Rejects Court-Ordered Deregistration

The political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections was thrown into fresh uncertainty on Tuesday after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties over alleged failure to meet constitutional performance requirements.

Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the case, directed INEC to remove the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labor Party (ZLP) from the list of registered political parties.

The court ruling followed a suit filed by a group of former lawmakers, who argued that the affected parties failed to satisfy the conditions outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The plaintiffs contended that the parties neither secured at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during presidential elections nor won sufficient elective positions at the national, state or local government levels to justify retaining their registration.

They further argued that allowing such parties to continue operating despite their poor electoral performance undermined the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process and urged the court to compel INEC to act before preparations for the 2027 elections gathered momentum.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to deregister the five parties. The court also upheld requests seeking to restrain the affected parties from conducting political activities pending compliance with constitutional provisions.

However, the ADC swiftly rejected the judgment, describing it as a politically motivated attempt to weaken opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling came as a surprise, accusing the judge of disregarding an earlier directive from the Court of Appeal ordering a stay of proceedings in the matter until October 27.

“We did not expect the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated,” Abdullahi said. “When a Court of Appeal says stay proceedings until October 27 and a lower court goes ahead to deliver judgment on the same matter, it is bizarre and dangerous.”

He alleged that the judgment was part of a broader political agenda orchestrated by elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the administration of President Bola Tinubu to eliminate potential challengers before the next presidential election.

“What the ruling party wants is a situation where, by the time we arrive in 2027, President Bola Tinubu is the only one able to contest election and every other contender would have been eliminated,” he said.

Abdullahi insisted that the ADC had fulfilled the constitutional requirements necessary to retain its registration and pointed to the party’s electoral victories in the 2023 elections.

According to him, Section 225A of the Constitution provides alternative conditions that political parties may satisfy to remain registered, including winning at least one seat in the National Assembly or state legislatures.

“ADC has at least two members of the House of Representatives. The fact that one of them later defected does not erase the fact that the party won that election,” he argued.

The ADC spokesman disclosed that the party would immediately appeal the judgment, maintaining that the ruling lacked legal foundation.

“As long as there will be elections in 2027, ADC will contest,” he declared. “We are convinced that this judgment has no leg to stand on legally. Nigeria is not a conquered people. There was Nigeria before President Bola Tinubu and there will be Nigeria after him.”

The ruling is expected to trigger a fresh legal battle over the interpretation of constitutional provisions governing political parties and could have far-reaching implications for the democratic space as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.