Court gavel
A suit seeking the deregistration of several political parties was on Tuesday opened for hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, as the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and six political parties before the court over alleged constitutional violations.
The action, filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), is anchored on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Action Peoples Party (APP) have met the legal requirements to remain on the list of registered political parties.
When proceedings resumed on February 24, 2026, lawyers representing the third and sixth defendants — the ADC and Accord Party — sought more time to file their counter-affidavits and additional written addresses.
Counsel to the ADC, Shaibu Enejo Aruwa, SAN, informed the court that his client had already challenged both its inclusion in the suit and the court’s jurisdiction.
He told the court: “We filed an application seeking amendment on 23 January 2026. Our application for extension of time was filed February 12, 2026.
“We also filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of this court.”
After listening to submissions from all parties, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, adjourned the matter to March 24, 2026, for ruling on the pending applications and the hearing of preliminary objections.
Speaking to journalists after the court session, Chairman of the NFFL Board of Trustees, Raphael Igbokwe, said the suit was filed in the public interest to promote constitutional compliance.
He stated: “NFFL is a public interest group and therefore it filed a public interest suit aimed at expounding electoral jurisprudence.
“Since Nigeria practices constitutional democracy which hinges on the rule of law, every person, authority and institution is expected to carry out its activities in accordance with the Constitution, including INEC.”
Igbokwe also questioned why INEC had not taken similar steps against the affected parties, recalling that the commission had previously deregistered 74 political parties ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“INEC cannot choose and pick which political party to apply the Constitution on.
“Recall that INEC applied Section 225A to deregister 74 political parties prior to the 2023 general elections, and we are concerned why a similar exercise has not been carried out,” he added.
Also commenting on the case, lead counsel to the NFFL, Yakubu Ruba, said the suit was aimed at securing judicial clarification on constitutional provisions guiding party registration.
“We are before the court purely for constitutional interpretation.
“Some parties, in our view, have acted in breach of the Constitution, and we seek the court’s guidance on the relevant provisions,” he said.
The court has fixed March 24, 2026, for further hearing and rulings on the pending applications.
