…Says Tinubu behind judgment
The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ignore Monday’s Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
In a fiery statement issued hours after the ruling, Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, described the judgment as “the height of judicial rascality” and accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of orchestrating a “hell-bent bid to undermine the opposition and entrench a de facto one-party state”.
Ibe argued that the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu directly violates a subsisting order from the Court of Appeal.
According to Ibe, the appellate court, presided over by Justices Mohammed A. Danjuma, Adebunkunola A. Banjoko, and Oyejoju O. Oyewumi, had in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026 ordered Justice Lifu to stay further action on the matter pending the hearing and determination of the appeal before it . That appeal is scheduled for October 27, 2026.
“The Court of Appeal ordered Justice Peter Lifu to stay further action on the matter until the hearing and determination of the Appeal before it. That order was dated May 22, 2026,” Ibe said. “Nigerians and the international community can see the level of desperation of the government of the ruling party to either have their way in the 2027 elections or destroy our democracy that was purchased at a huge cost” .
Spear News Nigeria reports that
Justice Lifu, in his ruling on Monday, ordered INEC to immediately deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) .
The court predicated its decision on the grounds that the affected political parties failed to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The provision requires political parties to win at least 25 percent of votes in a state during a presidential election or secure at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level .
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, who argued that the five parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, winning no significant seats across key tiers of government .
Beyond deregistration, the court restrained the affected parties from participating in any future elections, organizing campaigns or rallies, or engaging in any political activities whatsoever. INEC has also been barred from recognizing or dealing with the parties in any official capacity unless they fully comply with constitutional provisions.
The May 22, 2026, ruling by the Court of Appeal had expressly halted proceedings in the matter.
The appellate court, in a bench ruling, granted a motion for stay of proceedings filed by the Accord Party, one of the defendants in the suit.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had earlier adjourned the matter for judgment but the Court of Appeal directed that further action be paused pending the determination of the appeal .
The appeal was subsequently adjourned till October 27, 2026, for hearing.
Reacting to Friday’s development at the time, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, Raphael Igbokwe, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the Court of Appeal to halt proceedings and said the forum had already approached the Supreme Court to challenge the stay of proceedings.
The judgment has significant implications for the political ambitions of key opposition figures.
Atiku Abubakar, who recently unveiled former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate on the ADC platform, may be left without a political platform to contest the 2027 presidential election if the ruling stands.
Similarly, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who was expected to seek re-election on the platform of the Accord Party, could be affected .
Political analysts note that while the Atiku camp has called on INEC to ignore the judgment, the commission is constitutionally bound to comply with court orders. However, the existence of the Court of Appeal’s stay of proceedings may provide legal grounds for challenging Monday’s ruling.
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