Deregistration: ADC rejects court judgment, warns of judicial weaponization

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly rejected a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party along with four others. The ADC warned that the ruling represents a perilous effort to use the judiciary as a tool against Nigeria's democratic framework.

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You Are Playing With Fire, ADC Warns Government Agents Seeking Party De-registration

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party. The court cited their alleged failure to meet constitutional performance thresholds as stipulated by Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022. The lawsuit, initiated by the National Forum of Former Legislators, questioned whether INEC was constitutionally obligated to deregister parties that did not achieve specific electoral benchmarks, such as winning at least 25 percent of votes in any state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective office.

In a statement shared on X, the ADC labeled the judgment as alarming and unconstitutional, asserting that it directly contradicts established legal standards and prior declarations by INEC. "The African Democratic Congress wishes to warn, in the strongest possible terms, against any attempt to use the judiciary as an instrument to undermine democracy and plunge Nigeria into a major political crisis," the party declared.

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The African Democratic Congress wishes to warn, in the strongest possible terms, against any attempt to use the judiciary as an instrument to undermine democracy and plunge Nigeria into a major political crisis.

The ADC stated that INEC had previously informed the court that the ADC met all registration requirements and had not breached any constitutional thresholds for deregistration. According to the party, INEC "categorically maintained that the ADC had not violated any registration requirements, had not failed any constitutional electoral-performance threshold, and that no legally recognised basis existed for its de-registration." The commission also insisted that deregistration must be based strictly on constitutional provisions, not political pressure or the wishes of interested parties.

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The African Democratic Congress wishes to warn, in the strongest possible terms, against any attempt to use the judiciary as an instrument to undermine democracy and plunge Nigeria into a major political crisis.

Furthermore, the ADC challenged the court proceedings, alleging that the trial court proceeded despite a subsisting Court of Appeal order from May 22, 2026, which directed a stay of proceedings in the matter. The party described this action as a breach of judicial hierarchy and procedure. "We are therefore left in no doubt that this latest development is a continuation of the ruling party’s persistent efforts to undermine the opposition, especially the ADC," the party asserted. The ADC also found the timing of the ruling suspicious, noting it occurred after the party had concluded its primaries and was preparing candidates for the 2027 general elections.

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The African Democratic Congress wishes to warn, in the strongest possible terms, against any attempt to use the judiciary as an instrument to undermine democracy and plunge Nigeria into a major political crisis.