A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently adopted for his 2027 presidential bid. The ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on Monday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC along with the Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
Legal Basis for Deregistration
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The plaintiffs argued that the parties persistently failed to satisfy performance thresholds stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution. They contended that the parties neither secured the required electoral votes nor met constitutional benchmarks necessary for their continued existence as registered political parties.
Immediate Impact Uncertain
Political analysts noted that the judgement is unlikely to have an immediate effect on the affected parties, as Nigeria's legal system allows for challenges at the Court of Appeal. The ADC has already dismissed the ruling and vowed to appeal.
Atiku's Political Realignment
Atiku emerged as the ADC's presidential candidate in May. The judgement came on the same day the party named Rotimi Amaechi, Atiku's arch-rival in the party's primary, as his running mate. For Atiku, the ruling strikes at the heart of months of political realignment that saw him leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the ADC as part of efforts to build a united opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
The former vice president has contested for president six times under different political parties. He recently sought to position the ADC as a viable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Political observers said the court decision introduced fresh uncertainty into those plans, particularly as opposition politicians continue efforts to consolidate support.
ADC Rejects Ruling
Reacting to the decision, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the ruling as an attempt to sideline opposition parties ahead of future elections. He maintained that the party would exhaust all constitutional and legal options to overturn the judgment.
“We reject any and all attempts to intimidate, suppress, deregister, or politically extinguish our party and other opposition parties through means that offend both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution,” the statement read. “As a law-abiding political party, the ADC will vigorously challenge this judgement through every lawful and constitutional avenue available to us. We shall mobilise all democratic stakeholders.”
Coalition Faces Uncertainty
The development comes at a delicate moment for the ADC. Over the past year, the party transformed from a fringe political platform into a rallying point for opposition figures seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the APC in 2027. However, the coalition effort has faced internal challenges, with disagreements over leadership, strategy, and the choice of a common political party.
Founded in 2005 and registered by INEC in 2006, the ADC has participated in several election cycles and maintained a presence through elected lawmakers and local political structures. Although the party has never produced a president or state governor, it has won legislative seats at the National Assembly. Its recent prominence was largely driven by opposition politicians searching for a platform outside the APC and PDP.
Atiku's History of Defections
Atiku's political journey has been marked by serial party movements over the past two decades. He was elected vice president in 1999 on the PDP platform and remained until disagreements with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo led him to defect to the Action Congress (AC) ahead of the 2007 presidential election. He later returned to the PDP in 2009, defected to the APC in 2014, and rejoined the PDP in 2017 before moving to the ADC for the 2027 race. He unsuccessfully ran for president on the PDP platform in 2019 and 2023.
