BY BUKOLA SEGUN, ABUJA
A court ruling on Monday that deregistered the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has sparked outrage among members of the opposition parties, who described the decision as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
The governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, and the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Senator David Mark, condemned the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the five political parties, and cautioned that the court verdict could have grievous consequences for the country’s democracy.
In a similar vein, the former vice president and presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, condemned the judgment as an attempt to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 polls and constituted a threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Monday, Atiku said the ruling raised serious constitutional and legal concerns because it was delivered despite a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal staying proceedings in the matter.
“The judgment represents a dangerous escalation of authoritarian tactics and a blatant assault on Nigeria’s democracy. What makes the situation even more disturbing is that this judgment was purportedly delivered despite a clear and subsisting order of the Court of Appeal. On May 22, 2026, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, granted an application staying further proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025 pending the hearing and determination of the appeal before it.
“The implication of that order is not ambiguous. A stay of proceedings means precisely what it says. It freezes every further step in the matter, including the delivery of judgment. Any action taken contrary to that order raises serious questions about respect for the hierarchy of courts and fidelity to the rule of law. This latest judgment therefore does not merely contradict a subsisting appellate order; it strikes at the very foundation of legal certainty and constitutional governance. If court orders can be treated as optional whenever they become inconvenient to those in power, then the rule of law itself is in grave danger,” the statement read in part.
Atiku linked the judgment to what he described as a wider pattern of actions aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections, adding: “It is becoming increasingly clear that the Tinubu administration is singularly focused on eliminating major political opponents ahead of 2027. Rather than confronting the mounting crises facing the nation—rampant insecurity, economic hardship, rising poverty, unemployment, and the declining purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians—the government appears consumed by a desperate quest to neutralise every viable opposition platform.
“This is not governance. It is political elimination by other means.
The National Forum of Former Legislators had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, prayed the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that failed to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.
Five political parties listed as defendants in the matter had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration. The former legislators stressed that the requirements included winning at least 25 per cent of the vote in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
