Ex-lawmakers drag ADC to court, demand deregistration over ‘electoral irrelevance’

By : Adamu Abuh

Date: 10 December 2025 12:44pm WAT

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African Democratic Congress ADC

African Democratic Congress ADC

A fierce legal battle is brewing over the future of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the party’s outright deregistration for allegedly failing to meet Nigeria’s constitutional and electoral performance thresholds.

The suit, filed under FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025, was initiated by the group’s National Coordinator and member of its Board of Trustees, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, who deposed to an affidavit asserting that the ADC has “drifted into complete electoral insignificance,” falling short of virtually every constitutional benchmark required to maintain the status of a political party in Nigeria.

According to the affidavit, the ADC performed poorly in the last presidential election, failing to secure 25 per cent of the votes in even one state, a constitutional requirement for demonstrating minimal national presence.

The NFFL claimed that the party reportedly failed to win a single ward, councillorship, or chairmanship position in local government elections across the country, adding that its performance in the INEC-conducted bye-elections of August 2025 was similarly dismal, with the ADC failing to secure a seat at any level — ward, state, or federal.

The NFFL contends that these cumulative failures constitute a breach of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which grants INEC the authority to deregister any party that does not obtain at least 25 per cent of the votes in a state during a presidential election or fails to secure any legislative or local government seat.

The group also referenced Section 222, which outlines the structural and operational conditions a political association must meet to retain its registration.

Speaking on the motivation behind the lawsuit, Igbokwe insisted the action was rooted in public interest and democratic consolidation rather than political manoeuvring.

“We took this step to promote the rule of law and strengthen our electoral jurisprudence,” he said. “A political party must justify its continued relevance through performance, not sentiment.”

He dismissed suggestions that the suit is intended to stifle the opposition or accelerate the drift toward a dominant-party system benefiting the ruling APC.

“This is not about promoting a one-party state. Nigeria has several political parties with national visibility and genuine electoral presence. Opposition is not defined by the mere existence of parties but by their ability to meet constitutional standards.”

Igbokwe further argued that allowing inactive parties to remain registered wastes public resources, confuses voters, and diminishes the credibility of the ballot.

“Nigerians deserve vibrant political platforms that contribute meaningfully to governance and representation. We cannot keep accommodating parties that exist only in name.”

He stressed that if the ADC or any other party — regardless of ideological leaning — fails to meet the constitutionally established threshold, “the law must take its course.”

The court is expected to fix a date for hearing, and political observers say the outcome could once again reshape Nigeria’s political party landscape, especially as the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum.

Nigeria has a history of pruning non-performing political parties. In 2021, INEC deregistered 74 political parties for failing to meet electoral performance standards — a move the Supreme Court upheld in 2022, firmly affirming INEC’s powers under Section 225A.

That ruling established the legal precedent that electoral performance is not merely symbolic but a constitutional requirement that ensures only viable parties remain on the ballot.

The ADC, led by Sen. David Mark, has itself faced internal turbulence in recent times, as its political standing weakened further after its only National Assembly member, Mr Leke Abejide, was reportedly expelled, leaving the party without federal representation for the first time in over a decade.

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