2027 battle: Opposition rages as court scraps ADC, four parties

A court ruling that invalidated the African Democratic Congress Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance and Zenith Labour Party on Monday sparked an outrage from members of the opposition parties, who described the decision as controversial and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.

Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke and the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Senator David Mark, faulted the Federal High Court Abuja judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the five political parties, warning that the development could have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s democracy.

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, also condemned the judgment, saying it was a threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and an attempt to weaken opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The court order followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu.

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.

The plaintiff had argued that the 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 votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state or local government level.

They told the court that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.

Among other reliefs, the plaintiff urged the court to declare that INEC is duty-bound to deregister such parties.

It further urged the court to compel the commission to deregister the five political parties before preparations for the 2027 elections advance further.

Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Monday 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.

According to Atiku, the ruling should concern all Nigerians committed to democratic governance, political pluralism and the Rule of Law.

“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.

The former Vice President linked the judgment to what he described as a wider pattern of actions aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

“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 Nigerian people can see what is happening. Opposition parties are being targeted. Democratic institutions are being pressured. State power is increasingly being deployed not for national development but for political survival,” the statement added.

Atiku, however, insisted that the ADC would challenge the judgment through legal means and continue to defend Nigeria’s multiparty democratic system.

“We wish to reassure all members of the ADC, our supporters, and all Nigerians who believe in democratic competition that we will not be intimidated by these desperate manoeuvres.

“The battle before us transcends political parties. It is a battle for the soul of Nigerian democracy. It is a battle between those who believe in freedom of choice and those who seek to impose political uniformity through intimidation and institutional capture.

“We shall continue to pursue all lawful and constitutional avenues to defend our party, protect democratic freedoms, and preserve the multiparty system which remains the cornerstone of our constitutional order.

“We call on the judiciary, civil society organisations, the media, and all patriotic Nigerians to remain vigilant and resist every attempt to subvert democratic institutions for partisan advantage,” he added.

According to him, “Nigeria’s democracy was not won cheaply. It must not be surrendered cheaply.”

Atiku further maintained that democratic rights and constitutional guarantees cannot be extinguished through political pressure or judicial actions.

He noted that no amount of political desperation can override the Constitution, eliminate legitimate opposition or silence Nigerians seeking political alternatives.

The controversy is expected to generate further legal and political scrutiny in the coming days, particularly over the implications of the judgment for Nigeria’s party system and the status of the appellate court’s earlier order staying proceedings in the case.

In his reaction to the court order, Governor Adeleke also said the deregistration of the five political parties violated the order of Court of Appeal Order.

In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said the Appeal Court had made an order for the stay of proceedings by the Federal High Court, expressing displeasure over the lower court’s decision to rule on the matter.