A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued existence.

The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu held that the parties failed to satisfy the constitutional threshold required to retain their registration. He directed INEC to remove them from the list of registered political parties and bar them from participating in future elections, including the 2027 general election.

The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the affected parties.

Justice Lifu ruled that Section 225A of the Constitution gives INEC the power to deregister parties that fail to secure the minimum electoral performance stipulated by law. He said the provision was clear and should be interpreted literally, adding that political parties that do not make meaningful contributions to democratic development should not remain on the ballot.

The court also directed INEC to commence the deregistration process and refrain from accepting official correspondence from the affected parties. It further ordered the electoral commission to deregister any other party that fails to meet the constitutional threshold.