Manifestation of Tinubu’s bid to undermine opposition —Atiku – We’ll be on ballot in 2027 election —ADC, Adeleke faults court ruling on party deregistration, insists Accord will be on ballot.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the de-registration of five political parties over failure to meet the constitutional requirements for political parties in the country, despite an order for stay of proceedings in the matter by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
The parties affected are African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action People’s Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Accord Party (AP).
Justice Peter Lifu, in the judgment delivered on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties, having failed to secure 25 per cent of the votes in the last general elections in compliance with the provisions of the law.
The Court said the parties failed to meet the constitutional threshold of Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution which gives INEC the power to deregister parties that failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
In the judgment, Justice Lifu barred INEC from further according recognition to the parties, accepting nomination of candidates from the affected parties or giving effects to their activities for the purpose of participating in the 2027 general elections.
In the same vein, the Judge directed the parties to stop parading themselves as registered political parties in the country.
By the judgment, former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has no platform to stand for the forthcoming presidential election.
Similarly, Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, billed to re-contest in the August 15 governorship election on the platform of Accord Party will have no party to run in the election.
The judge, who earlier dismissed all the multiple preliminary objections filed by the defendants, ordered INEC not to allow the parties to participate in the subsequent elections, including the 2027 general elections, having failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
Justice Lifu delivered his judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/25, instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against INEC, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the affected political parties despite the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, staying the proceedings in the suit before the trial court.
The appellate Court on Friday, May 22, 2026 ordered a stay of proceedings in a suit pending before Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
A Certified True Copy (CTC) of an enrolled order in the appeal stated that a three-member panel of Justices of the appellate court, comprising of Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi, adjourned till October 27, 2026 for the hearing of the appeal.
It would be recalled that Justice Lifu had, on May 21 rejected applications by some political parties and interested politicians seeking to be joined in the suit seeking the deregistration of the five political parties over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judge dismissed the joinder’s applications filed by Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Oluwafemi Abayomi Adebambi, the Accord Party Guber Candidate for Ekiti State and Hon. Sani Yakubu Noma of the ADC, holding that their political parties were already defendants in the suit and held that their individual joinder in the suit would be unnecessary.
Justice Lifu subsequently reserved judgment in the substantive suit for June 5, which could not hold due to his absence in court on that day.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several political parties, including the ADC, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.
During proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, Yakubu Abdullahi Ruba, SAN, argued that the affected political parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance.
Ruba relied on Supreme Court authorities, contending that political parties were required to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to remain relevant under the law. He urged the court to order the deregistration of the parties, insisting that none of the defendants had effectively countered the argument.
Source: Tribune Online NG
