The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef bemi, has supported a legal action seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress.
In documents filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the AGF argued that the continued recognition of these parties violates provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended. He maintained that parties that fail to meet constitutional performance thresholds should not remain registered, as this undermines electoral integrity and burdens the system.
The other parties listed in the suit are the Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
bemi, through a legal team led by Prof. Joshua Olatoke, SAN, argued that INEC has no discretion to retain parties that have clearly failed to satisfy the minimum requirements outlined in Section 225A of the Constitution. He warned that allowing such parties to remain active inflates ballots, increases election costs, and complicates administration.
The suit, filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, seeks a judicial determination on whether INEC is constitutionally obligated to deregister underperforming political parties. The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties failed to meet key benchmarks, such as securing at least 25 percent of votes in a state during presidential elections or winning elective seats at various levels of government.
They further claimed that the parties performed poorly in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by elections, failing to secure representation across critical tiers.
Among the reliefs sought, the plaintiffs asked the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties before preparations for the 2027 general elections progress. They also requested an injunction to prevent the affected parties from participating in elections or engaging in political activities unless they meet constitutional requirements.
The case is expected to test the enforcement of electoral laws and could have significant implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the next general elections.
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