The Digest:
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed February 24, 2026, to hear a suit seeking to compel the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party, and Action Alliance over alleged constitutional breaches. The suit, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, challenges whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is constitutionally bound to deregister parties that failed to meet minimum electoral performance thresholds prescribed by law, including securing 25% of votes in a state for presidential elections or winning any elective seat. The plaintiffs argue the affected parties have, since registration, failed to win any ward, legislative seat, or elective office, yet INEC continues to recognise them. They seek orders compelling deregistration and restraining INEC from allowing them to participate in the 2027 general elections.
Key Points:
- The suit could significantly reshape Nigeria's political landscape by reducing the number of parties on the ballot.
- It raises fundamental questions about INEC's enforcement of constitutional performance thresholds.
- Affected parties face potential dissolution, while INEC's regulatory authority is tested.
- This signals a legal challenge to the proliferation of non-performing political parties.
- The timing, ahead of 2027 elections, could determine which parties contest.
Sources: The Punch
