INEC Opposes Move To Deregister ADC

A fresh twist has emerged in the legal battle over the status of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opposed moves seeking the party’s deregistration.

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Court documents obtained by Punch showed that INEC rejected the application before the court, insisting that it failed to meet constitutional and legal requirements for deregistering a political party.

The commission argued that the power to deregister political parties was strictly regulated by law and could not be exercised arbitrarily or under political pressure.

INEC stated that none of the constitutionally recognised grounds for deregistration had been established against the ADC.

Such grounds include failure to meet electoral performance thresholds or breach of registration requirements.

The commission said, “The power to deregister political parties is neither discretionary nor subject to political pressure, but strictly governed by extant laws and constitutional provisions.”

The filing has also been interpreted in some political and legal circles as an institutional pushback against alleged attempts to use the judiciary for partisan purposes.

The suit is seeking the deregistration of the ADC, Accord Party, Action People’s Party, Action Alliance and Zenith Labour Party.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), backed the lawsuit, arguing that non-performing parties clutter ballots and drain public funds.

He also called for the enforcement of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution.

Reacting to the development, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, described the alleged attempt to deregister the ADC as politically motivated.

Shaibu said, “What we are witnessing is the unravelling of a poorly scripted political ambush designed to cripple opposition voices.”

He said INEC’s position had validated concerns that the case was not driven by law.

“The fact that INEC itself has come forward to puncture the legal vacuum of this application speaks volumes.

“It confirms what Nigerians already suspect, that this was never about law, but about intimidation,” he said.

Shaibu warned against attempts to weaken political competition in the country.

He said, “No democracy survives where the ruling party seeks to eliminate competition through the back door. Nigeria is bigger than any administration, and its democratic space cannot be shrunk to accommodate political insecurity.”