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

A court decision that annulled the African Democratic Congress Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party on Monday incited outrage among members of the opposition parties, who labeled the ruling as contentious and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic framework.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, along with the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Senator David Mark, criticized the Federal High Court Abuja's ruling that instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the five political parties, cautioning that this development could have significant repercussions for Nigeria’s democracy.

Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also denounced the ruling, asserting that it posed a danger to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and represented an effort to undermine opposition forces in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.

The court order was issued following a judgment by Justice Peter Lifu.

The National Forum of Former Legislators had filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, requesting the court to ascertain whether INEC is constitutionally obligated to remove political parties that do not meet the electoral performance criteria established in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as supported by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.

The plaintiffs contended that the five political parties named as defendants had consistently failed to satisfy the constitutional standards necessary to maintain their registration.

The former legislators emphasized that these requirements included winning at least 25 percent of votes in a state during a presidential election or obtaining at least one elective position at the national, state, or local government level.

They informed the court that the ADC and the other four parties had underperformed in both the 2023 general elections and the by-elections conducted by INEC, thus failing to secure seats across critical levels of government.

“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 asserted that democratic rights and constitutional protections cannot be nullified by political pressure or judicial actions.

He emphasized that no level of political desperation can supersede the Constitution, eradicate legitimate opposition, or silence Nigerians who are in search of political alternatives.

The ongoing controversy is anticipated to provoke additional legal and political examination in the forthcoming days, especially regarding the ramifications of the ruling for Nigeria’s party system and the status of the appellate court’s prior order halting proceedings in the case.

Adeleke calls for tranquility

In response to the court order, Governor Adeleke stated that the deregistration of the five political parties contravened the Court of Appeal's directive.

In a statement released by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke remarked that the Appeal Court had issued an order to stay proceedings by the Federal High Court, expressing dissatisfaction with the lower court’s decision to adjudicate on the issue.

The statement partially read, “It is documented before Honourable Justice Peter Lifu that in the record of proceedings of the Court of Appeal dated 22nd May, 2026, which was presented to his Lordship as Exhibit MAC 2, the Court of Appeal explicitly stated that ‘The delivery of the judgement is still part of the proceedings of the Court.’”

The governor urged for calm, asserting that the citizens of Osun State will not have their civil right to vote stripped away from them.

“The Court of Appeal is taking up the matter tomorrow (today). This effort to stop Osun people from exercising their voting rights will fail by the special grace of Almighty God. The Rule of Law and Humanity shall prevail at the end of the day.

“I call on Osun people to remain calm and be assured that our rights will be affirmed and our party, the Accord will be on the ballot on August 15th.

“We will not only be on the ballot, we will win overwhelmingly the forthcoming governorship election. We should remain calm and forge ahead with mobilisation of our people.

“I also want to assure our people that the flag off of our campaign is holding as scheduled tomorrow (today). They want to distract us. We are going ahead and we are winning this election,” Adeleke said.

He further assured his supporters that his legal team are doing everything ppossible to address the issue in the accordance with the law

“Our lawyers are taking all the necessary steps to right the wrong,” the governor posited.

ADC rejects judgment

The ADC rejected the judgment, warning of serious consequences if any attempt was made to exclude the party from the ballot.

In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the court ruling reflected growing desperation by the ruling party and the government to keep President Bola Tinubu in power at all cost, even if it meant undermining democratic processes and risking a major national crisis.

The party stated, “The African Democratic Congress wishes to warn, in the strongest possible terms, against any attempt to use the judiciary as an instrument to undermine democracy and plunge Nigeria into a major political crisis.

“We are deeply alarmed by the judgment reportedly delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a case filed by the so-called National Forum of Former Legislators seeking the de-registration of the ADC and four other political parties. This judgment stands in direct conflict with constitutional principles and all known judicial processes and procedures.

“The facts are straightforward. The plaintiffs had argued that the ADC and four other political parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements relating to continued registration. However, in its counter-affidavit filed before the court in May, INEC, the constitutional body empowered with the registration, regulation, and supervision of political parties in Nigeria, categorically maintained that the ADC had not violated any registration requirements, had not failed any constitutional electoral-performance threshold, and that no legally recognised basis existed for its deregistration.<