In a dramatic turn of events on Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
This came just hours after the opposition ADC unveiled former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the vice-presidential candidate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Justice Peter Lifu, delivering judgment in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, directed INEC to immediately remove the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) from the register of political parties.
The court ruled that the five parties had consistently failed to meet the constitutional performance thresholds required for continued registration under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
These requirements include winning at least 25 percent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
The suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, who argued that the affected parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, winning no significant seats and failing to meet the constitutional benchmarks.
Beyond the deregistration order, the court restrained the five 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 judgment came just hours after the ADC’s national leadership formally announced Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the Atiku-Amaechi ticket as a “unity and rescue ticket” aimed at offering Nigerians a credible alternative ahead of the next general election.
Abdullahi said Amaechi’s emergence followed broad consultations and reflected his performance as the runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries, where he polled 504,117 votes behind Atiku’s 1,846,370 votes.
“Rt. Hon. Amaechi brings to this ticket one of the most comprehensive public service records in contemporary Nigerian politics,” the party’s statement read in part.
But the court ruling has now thrown the ADC’s presidential ambition into serious doubt. Section 225A of the Constitution explicitly mandates INEC to deregister political parties that fail to meet the performance requirements, and the court’s order bars the affected parties from fielding candidates in the 2027 general election.
Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State and two-term Minister of Transportation, had defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC earlier this year in pursuit of the presidency. He lost the ADC presidential ticket to Atiku in the party’s primaries before accepting the vice-presidential slot.
The former Rivers State governor had previously stated that he did not purchase the party’s presidential nomination form merely to become a vice-presidential candidate. However, following reconciliation efforts by party leaders, he agreed to join the Atiku ticket.
With the deregistration order now in effect, both Atiku and Amaechi face an uncertain political future. The ADC is among five parties that have been effectively barred from the 2027 race unless a successful legal challenge is mounted against Monday’s ruling.
INEC is yet to issue an official statement on the judgment, but the commission is constitutionally bound to comply with court orders. As of press time, the ADC leadership had not responded to the ruling.
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