Fresh political controversy erupted on Monday following a Federal High Court judgment directing the deregistration of five political parties, with leaders of the affected parties and prominent political figures rejecting the ruling and vowing to challenge it through legal means.

Leading the pushback, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, insisted that the party would remain on the ballot for the 2027 general elections, describing the judgment as a temporary setback that would be overturned on appeal.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), ruling that the parties failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.

But Mark, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, after receiving a delegation of ADC candidates in Abuja, expressed confidence that the judgment would not stand.

“The ADC will be on the ballot in 2027. I assure all our candidates, members and supporters that this temporary setback will be overcome through the judicial process. We remain resolute and confident in the rule of law,” he said.

The former Senate President argued that the ruling raised serious concerns about due process and democratic participation, noting that the Court of Appeal had earlier ordered a stay of proceedings and adjourned the matter to October 27, 2027.

According to him, the judgment amounted to “an arrow fired at the heart of Nigeria’s democracy.”

“The judgment cannot stand. It will be set aside because it does not pass the test of law and due process.

Our democracy must be protected from actions that seek to undermine the constitutional rights of political parties and the choices available to Nigerians,” Mark stated.

He urged party members and supporters across the country to remain calm and focused, assuring them that the ADC would continue preparations for future elections.

Adeleke

Similarly, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, faulted the ruling, describing it as an abuse of court process and a direct violation of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke maintained that the appellate court had already issued a stay of proceedings in the matter, making the lower court’s decision questionable.

“It is on record before Justice Peter Lifu that in the record of proceedings of the Court of Appeal of May 22, 2026, which was placed before the court as Exhibit MAC 2, the Court of Appeal specifically pronounced that the delivery of judgment is still part of the proceedings of the court,” the statement said.

The governor urged supporters of the Accord Party to remain calm, expressing confidence that the appellate court would resolve the dispute in favour of the party.

“Our rights will be affirmed and our party, the Accord, will be on the ballot on August 15. We will not only be on the ballot, we will win overwhelmingly. Our lawyers are taking all the necessary steps to right the wrong,” Adeleke said.

Sowore

Also reacting, African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, condemned the ruling, describing it as undemocratic and inconsistent with the principles of a multi-party democracy.

In a post on social media, Sowore argued that political parties which had already conducted primaries and were preparing for elections should not be removed from the political space through judicial pronouncements.

“I totally condemn the deregistration of political parties that have already concluded their primaries and are preparing for general elections. Such an action is undemocratic and unjustifiable in a multi-party democracy,” he wrote.

Judgement

The ruling has sparked fresh debate over the future of Nigeria’s multi-party system and the powers of INEC under Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows the electoral body to deregister political parties that fail to win elective positions at the federal, state or local government levels.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that the affected parties no longer met the constitutional threshold for continued registration and consequently directed INEC to remove them from its register of political parties.

However, with ADC, Accord Party and other stakeholders already heading to the appellate court, the legal battle over the parties’ status appears far from over, setting the stage for a major political and constitutional contest ahead of the 2027 elections. (Vanguard)

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