Former Legislators Seek Deregistration of Multiple Nigerian Political Parties

The Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja to amend a summons seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party, and Action Alliance. The plaintiffs allege these parties breached Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution by failing to win elective seats or secure 25 percent of votes in a state during presidential elections.

The forum argues that allowing these parties to contest the 2027 general elections would waste public resources and undermine electoral integrity. The lawsuit seeks to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove the parties from official registration.

The African Democratic Congress and Accord Party opposed the amendment request. They cited a fundamental discrepancy between the plaintiff's name in a December 2025 filing and a subsequent January 2026 filing, while further alleging that additional defendants were joined without court leave. Justice Peter Lifu adjourned the matter until April 17, 2026, to rule on whether the amendment will be permitted.