Court orders INEC to remove ADC, Accord, and others from its portal ahead of 2027 elections

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties: the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party. This ruling has the potential to significantly reshape the political landscape in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered a judgment in a case brought by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The suit sought to determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that do not meet the electoral performance thresholds established in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The court ruled in agreement that the Commission does indeed have this obligation.

The constitutional requirement is straightforward: a registered political party must either secure at least 25 per cent of the votes in any state during a presidential election or win at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level to maintain its registration.

The lawsuit argued that the five parties in question did not meet either criterion in the 2023 general elections or in the subsequent by-elections. The implications go beyond the five parties themselves.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had been building his campaign for the 2027 presidential election around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, with the recent deregistration order in effect, his path to the 2027 ballot has become significantly more complicated. He will need to either join another registered party that meets the constitutional requirements or challenge the ruling before it is fully implemented.

The recent ruling shows that Nigeria’s political party system is becoming stricter. Nigeria has many registered political parties, but many only exist on paper. These parties often run weak candidates, do poorly in elections, and then become inactive again. The rules were created to stop this, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has faced criticism for not applying them consistently.

What ADC removal means for INEC’s systems and the 2027 election timeline

The deregistration order has important effects on INEC. It means that five political parties will be removed from INEC’s central digital database, which holds records of party registrations, candidate information, and election history. As a result, these parties will lose their official status, and they will not be able to use INEC’s digital systems for submitting candidates or participating in elections.

INEC’s electronic systems, like the Result Viewing Portal and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), focus on recognised political parties. If a party is removed from the official register, it cannot participate in any part of the system, from primary elections to the final vote.

The ruling prevents the affected parties from holding campaigns, rallies, or primaries, and stops the INEC from recognising or working with them unless they meet constitutional requirements. With preparations for the 2027 elections already starting, the timing of this order gives these parties very little chance to mount a credible legal challenge before the election cycle picks up.

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Nigeria’s electoral history has often shown that the courts, rather than the ballot box, decide who can contest. This ruling serves as a recent reminder of that reality.