…Says deregistration of political parties will halt democracy, trigger insurrection
Eshioromeh Sebastian
A chieftain of the Labour Party and the factional National Vice Chairman for the South-West, Abayomi Arabambi, has warned that the anticipated judgment in a suit seeking the deregistration of five political parties will plunge Nigeria into an unprecedented political crisis if allowed to stand.
Arabambi raised the alarm on Saturday during a press briefing in Abuja.
He is challenging a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Attorney General of the Federation, and five political parties—the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Odo Lifu, has fixed June 5, 2026, for judgment in the suit after dismissing applications for stay of proceedings and joinder filed by several interested parties, including Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Arabambi himself.
Speaking during the briefing, Arabambi did not mince words about those behind the deregistration suit.
“They are democracy assassins. Those pushing for the deregistration of these political parties are pursuing chaos. They want political insurrection. They are enemies of our democratic order”, he declared.
The Labour Party chieftain argued that the claimants, a group of former legislators who, in his words, “can neither vote nor be voted for”, have no standing to speak for millions of Nigerians who have aligned with the affected parties.
“How can a person who represented only Abia State, or Nasarawa, or Ogoniland, now claim to speak for all Nigerians?” Arabambi asked. “There is no evidence before the court that any Nigerian authorised them to do so. Yet the court has accepted that proposition.”
He further argued that the National Forum of Former Legislators came into existence in 2025, two years after the 2023 elections they are complaining about.
He also noted that no signature of any Nigerian was attached or exhibited as evidence that any citizen donated their right to the plaintiffs to sue on their behalf.
Justice Lifu had on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, dismissed applications for joinder filed by Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Arabambi, and two others, holding that their political parties were already defendants in the suit and that individual joinder would be unnecessary.
The judge also refused an application seeking a stay of proceedings, ruling that the matter had reached an advanced stage and that halting the case would create hardship for other litigants, particularly as political parties were expected to submit names of candidates ahead of forthcoming elections.
Arabambi, however, expressed disappointment with the court’s handling of his application.
“I presented my case before Justice Peter Odo Lifu. I argued that these claimants are not even a political party, that they never participated in the 2023 elections, that they do not possess voters’ cards and can thus not vote or be voted for, that they cannot claim to speak on behalf of Nigerians when no Nigerian has donated that right to them,” he recounted.
“The judge heard my submissions but refused all applications for joinder. In his ruling, he stated that even if he were wrong, the remedy lies with the Court of Appeal, which is akin to referee who awarded a penalty and at the same time gave the goalkeeper a red card,
knowing fully well that off-season elections are coming up in Osun State where His Excellency Dr. Ademola Adeleke is seeking a second term in office.”
Arabambi confirmed that he has since filed an appeal against the ruling refusing to join him as an interested party and the 9th defendant in the suit.
The Plaintiffs’ Case
The National Forum of Former Legislators, through its counsel Yakubu Abdullahi Ruba (SAN), is seeking an order to compel INEC to deregister the five political parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance.
The plaintiffs argue that the affected parties have not secured 25 per cent of votes in any state during a presidential election, as required by Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution, and have failed to win any elective seats.
But the affected parties have pushed back. The Zenith Labour Party, through its National Chairman Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, recently objected to the suit, describing it as “a politically motivated attack designed to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space.”
What Deregistration Would Mean
Arabambi painted a dire picture of the consequences should the court rule against the five parties on June 5.
“Any judgment made on the 5th of June, as adjourned by Justice Peter Odo Lifu, to deregister the ADC, AA, APP, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party will undermine the unity of Nigeria, set this country on fire, halt our democracy, and precipitate instability and insurrection capable of preventing the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State,” he warned.
He identified two primary objectives of the claimants: first, “to prevent the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as any deregistration of political parties now will promote political instability capable of making Nigeria ungovernable”; second, “to prevent the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.”
“This, in my view, is not in the interest of Nigeria,” Arabambi stated.
A Plea to Justice Lifu
Directly addressing the presiding judge, the Labour Party chieftain who went down on his knees before journalists, made an emotional appeal.
“My plea to Justice Peter Odo Lifu is this: You must not be seen as a supporter of any political parties trying to abridge the right of participation of Governor Ademola Adeleke to freely present himself to his people for re-election for a second term,” he said.
“You must not be a tool that will give a judgment that will make Nigerians think President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wanted to stiff opposition out of contest.”
He urged the judge to “save Nigeria. Save our democracy.”
Call to NJC
Arabambi also called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to take immediate judicial notice of the proceedings.
“They must review every process filed,” he demanded.
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