ABUJA, Nigeria — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected a Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others, warning that the court is playing with fire by threatening the existence of registered political parties.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ADC leadership described the judgment as judicial overreach and an assault on democratic principles. The party vowed to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to order the deregistration of political parties that were duly registered by INEC in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, had reportedly granted an order directing INEC to proceed with the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for retaining their status as registered political parties. The specific grounds for the ruling were not immediately detailed in the party’s statement.
The ADC argued that the judgment violates the express provisions of the 1999 Constitution, which vests the power to register and deregister political parties solely in INEC, subject to clearly defined criteria. The party insisted that no court has the authority to compel INEC to deregister a political party without first establishing that the party has failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
According to the ADC, it remains a fully registered political party with structures across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The party noted that it has fielded candidates in past elections, won elective positions at various levels, and continues to maintain functional offices and membership registers nationwide.
The party further warned that the judgment, if allowed to stand, would have dangerous consequences for Nigeria’s democracy. It argued that any court that can arbitrarily order the deregistration of political parties without due process is setting a precedent that could be used to silence opposition voices and entrench one-party rule in the country.
The ADC called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the conduct of the trial judge, alleging that the ruling appeared to have been obtained through improper means. The party suggested that anti-democratic forces may have influenced the judgment to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party also appealed to INEC to disregard the court order pending the determination of its appeal. The ADC argued that the electoral commission should not act on a judgment that is clearly inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, as well as previous decisions of appellate courts on similar matters.
Other political parties affected by the judgment have also rejected the ruling. Some have announced plans to file stay of execution applications and appeals, while others have called for a united front among opposition parties to resist what they describe as judicial assassination of political associations.
INEC has yet to issue an official statement on the judgment or indicate whether it intends to comply with the court order. The commission has previously maintained that it would only act on court judgments after all legal avenues have been exhausted, including appeals to higher courts.
Constitutional lawyers have expressed divergent views on the judgment. Some argue that the court exceeded its powers by ordering deregistration, while others contend that the court was merely enforcing the constitutional requirements for political parties to retain their registration.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for calm, urging all parties to allow the legal process to run its course without resorting to inflammatory rhetoric. The students’ body warned that political instability arising from the deregistration of opposition parties would ultimately hurt the democratic aspirations of young Nigerians.
As the legal battle unfolds, the ADC has sent a clear message to the judiciary and the executive: attempting to arbitrarily prune the number of political parties in Nigeria is a dangerous game. For now, the party insists that it will not go quietly, and the courts will have to answer difficult questions about the limits of judicial power in a democracy.
