The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) along with four other political parties: Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

This ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, arose from a case where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was directed to take action against these parties due to their failure to secure the constitutional requirement of 25 percent of votes in the last general elections.

The court’s decision stems from the plaintiffs, the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, who filed the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026) against the parties and included the Attorney-General of the Federation. The plaintiffs argued that the impacted parties did not meet the necessary constitutional standards related to electoral performance and spread, prompting the court to rule that they cannot participate in future elections, including the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Additionally, Justice Lifu dismissed all preliminary objections from the defendants, underscoring the failure to counter the plaintiffs’ assertions effectively.