Federal High Court Adjourns Suit on Deregistration of ADC, Other Political Parties
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned a suit seeking the deregistration of several political parties over alleged constitutional breaches
- The Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators filed the case against INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and five political parties
- At the heart of the dispute is whether INEC is constitutionally bound to deregister parties that failed to meet minimum electoral performance thresholds
The Federal High Court in Abuja has set February 24, 2026, to hear a suit seeking the deregistration of several political parties over alleged constitutional breaches.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/25, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Attorney-General of the Federation, and five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party, and Action Alliance.
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Plaintiff’s position on constitutional breaches
According to PUNCH, the matter, which was initially scheduled for mention before Justice Peter Lifu, was not heard and was subsequently adjourned.
Speaking to journalists after the stalled hearing, counsel for the plaintiff, Yakubu Ruba (SAN), explained that the suit was aimed at securing judicial interpretation of constitutional provisions governing party registration.
“We are before the court purely for constitutional interpretation. Some parties, in our view, have acted in breach of the Constitution, and we seek the court’s guidance on the relevant provisions,” Ruba said.
Legal grounds of the suit
Court documents revealed that the suit was filed by originating summons under Section 225(A) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 75(4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.
At the centre of the dispute is whether INEC is constitutionally required to deregister political parties that fail to meet minimum electoral performance thresholds.
These thresholds include securing at least 25 per cent of votes in one state during a presidential election, winning a local government area in a governorship election, or clinching at least one seat in elections ranging from councillorship to the National Assembly.
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Allegations of electoral failures
The plaintiff argued that the affected parties had failed to win any ward, legislative seat, or elective office in previous elections. In an affidavit supporting the suit, Hon. Igbokwe Nnanna, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and National Coordinator of the NFFL, accused INEC of neglecting its constitutional duty by continuing to recognise parties that had not met the required thresholds.
According to the affidavit, the parties had not secured the constitutionally required 25 per cent of votes in any state during presidential elections, nor had they gained representation across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards, 774 local government areas, 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Reliefs sought by the plaintiffs
The plaintiffs requested declaratory orders affirming that INEC must enforce constitutional benchmarks as a precondition for party registration and participation in elections. They also sought mandatory injunctions restraining INEC from recognising or accepting political activities from the affected parties unless they complied fully with constitutional and statutory requirements.
The forum warned that unless the court intervened, INEC might allow the parties to participate in the 2027 general elections, which it claimed could “clog the ballot papers, overstretch administrative resources and mislead voters.”
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter to February 24, 2026, for further proceedings. The case is expected to test the constitutional limits of INEC’s powers and could have significant implications for the recognition and participation of political parties in Nigeria’s future elections.
Source: Twitter
ADC suspends state chairman
Legit.ng earlier reported that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun State has suspended its chairman, Femi Soluade, after unanimously passing a vote of no confidence in him.”
The ADC Publicity Secretary, Olumide Onabajo, said Soluade is suspended from office pending the outcome of investigations into allegations levelled against him.
Onabajo said Soluade was suspended over involvement in leading armed men to disrupt the governorship declaration of Jimi Lawal on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Ibara, Abeokuta. As reportedby The Punch, he made this known in a statement issued on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
