Five opposition parties face erasure from Nigeria’s electoral roll. The Federal High Court ruling to deregister the Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, African Democratic Congress, and Zenith Labour Party threatens to reshape the field for the 2027 elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission now holds the order to strike them from the register.
That order came from Judge Peter Lifu. He sided with the National Forum of Former Legislators, who argued the parties failed constitutional tests on electoral performance.
Their poor showings in the 2023 general elections and subsequent polls, the litigants claimed, justified removal. The group said keeping these parties on the ballot would violate the 1999 Constitution and damage the electoral system’s integrity. But the legal ground is shaky.
The Court of Appeal issued a stay of execution on May 22, blocking the Federal High Court from delivering its reserved ruling. That ruling was set for June 5.
Judge Lifu defied that stay on June 15, hearing the matter anyway. He then ordered deregistration. The consequence is a direct clash between two courts.
One court said stop. The other proceeded anyway. That contradiction now hangs over every party official, every candidate, every voter aligned with these five parties.
For them, the ruling means potential political death. No registration means no ballot access.
No ballot access means no candidates in 2027. The National Forum of Former Legislators pushed this case hard. They argued that allowing poorly performing parties to keep their registration undermines the entire system.
Their point is technical: Section 225 A-C of the Constitution gives INEC the power to deregister parties that fail to meet thresholds. The five parties, they said, failed consistently.
But the timing matters. The Court of Appeal had already frozen the process. Judge Lifu’s decision to ignore that freeze raises questions about judicial independence.
It opens the door to accusations of political interference. The judiciary now looks divided, with one judge overriding a higher court’s order. For INEC, the ruling creates a practical bind.
Do they follow the Federal High Court order or respect the Court of Appeal stay? Both carry legal weight.
One contradicts the other. The commission must choose which directive to obey. That choice will determine whether five parties survive or vanish.
The political fallout extends beyond the parties themselves. Nigeria’s opposition landscape is fractured.
Removing five parties consolidates power among the remaining ones, most likely the larger, better-established groups. Smaller parties often serve as vehicles for regional candidates or issue-based campaigns. Their loss reduces options for voters who reject the major parties.
Voters in states where these parties hold local influence now face a vacuum. The Accord Party, for instance, has roots in certain regions. The African Democratic Congress has fielded candidates across multiple states.
Deregistration disenfranchises the voters who supported them, at least at the party level. The 2027 elections loom.
Without these parties on the ballot, the candidate pool shrinks. The National Forum of Former Legislators argued that this protects electoral integrity. Critics say it narrows democratic choice.
The court battle is not over. The Court of Appeal stay remains in effect.
An appeal is likely. The Supreme Court may have the final word. Until then, uncertainty rules.
Party leaders wait. INEC waits. Voters wait.
Judge Lifu’s order is on paper. The Court of Appeal’s order is on paper too.
Someone has to enforce something. Someone has to decide which paper wins.
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