By Kingston Magare 16.6.2026
A Federal High Court’s order to the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister some political parties have been slammed by a cross section of Nigerians.
Presiding judge of the FHC sitting in Abuja, Justice Peter Lifu sparked an outrage Monday when he sided with the argument of the National Forum of Former Legislators, the affected political parties did not meet the constitutional requirement to contest the 2027 general elections, since they have not won 25 percent of votes in any election.
Speaking on the matter Tuesday, Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis said in a statement posted on his X handle: “Deregistration of political parties is a bad omen for our democracy. There is no constitutional, legal or moral basis for these alternative democratic platforms to be truncated and thwarted by the Government with the aid of a judicial decree.
“That this unconstitutional and plainly undemocratic order is coming up just days after we celebrated June 12 Democracy Day with a public holiday and hollow fanfare and national awards.”
“The fact that my political party, the SDP, is not affected by this unfortunate situation does not excuse my silence in the face of injustice.
“All lovers of democracy must stand strongly and solidly in solidarity with the African Democratic Congress, Action Alliance, Action People’s Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.”
Former All-Progressive Congress deputy national publicity secretary Timi Frank said the court order could plunge Nigeria into a serious national crisis and undermine the country’s democratic foundations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Nobody knew about it. There was no prior information or briefing, even to lawyers representing the parties. The judgment was delivered suddenly. It was carefully plotted to create an appearance of legitimacy without properly notifying those involved.
“From the information we received, the judgment was written elsewhere and handed over to the judge. The Office of the Attorney-General allegedly prepared the script while the judge merely acted it out,” he claimed.
“Any attempt by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and those working with him to deregister political parties, especially major opposition platforms like the ADC, could trigger a crisis that may become difficult to contain,” he warned.
Also, the Obidient movement described the court order as a threat to political inclusion and democratic participation in Nigeria.
“As believers in democratic values, we are concerned about the deregistration of political parties such as ADC, AA, ZLP and APP.
“A vibrant democracy thrives on inclusiveness, political participation, and the availability of diverse platforms through which citizens can freely express their aspirations and choices,” said the Obidient Movement in a statement made available by Dr Tanko Yusuf its national coordinator.
“The future of Nigeria’s democracy must be built on fairness, inclusion, credible institutions, and the active participation of citizen.
Nigerian voters demanding to vote for parties of their choice.