Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC, Accord, Three Other Parties Ahead of 2027 Elections

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties for failing to meet constitutional requirements. The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Monday, June 15, 2026. He ruled that the parties breached Section 225 of the Nigerian Constitution, which gives INEC the power to deregister any party that fails to win a single elective position at the federal, state, or local government level in the previous election cycle.

The suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators. They sued INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the five opposition parties. The plaintiffs argued that the parties no longer meet the constitutional threshold for continued registration. They relied on Section 225(a) of the Constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act, insisting the parties failed to win elective seats or meet minimum requirements.

Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi joined the suit as a defendant but threw his office's weight behind the plaintiffs' prayers. That means the federal government effectively supported the deregistration.

The judgment has immediate and far-reaching consequences. With the 2027 general elections about seven to eight months away, the affected parties' candidates now face automatic disqualification if the ruling is enforced immediately. The off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, scheduled for June and August respectively, are also affected.

Two high-profile candidates are directly in the line of fire. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently emerged as the presidential candidate of the ADC. Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking a second term on the platform of Accord in the August governorship election.

The ruling reshapes the political landscape dramatically. Candidates who had already secured party tickets under these platforms may be forced to scramble for new parties or risk being locked out of the elections entirely.

Section 225(a) of the Constitution states that INEC "shall have power to deregister political parties for failure to win any seat in the National Assembly or State House of Assembly." The court held that INEC has a constitutional duty to enforce this provision.

The plaintiffs also secured an order compelling INEC to remove the parties from its register and restrain them from participating in future elections. If INEC complies, the five parties will cease to exist legally.

INEC hasn't yet issued a statement on whether it will appeal the judgment. Legal experts say an appeal could delay enforcement, but the ruling stands unless overturned by a higher court.

For now, candidates of the affected parties — and voters who planned to support them — are in limbo. The clock is ticking toward the Ekiti and Osun elections, which are just weeks away.