The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the deregistration of five political parties over alleged constitutional breaches.
In the suit, the AGF is asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the affected parties from its register, arguing that their continued recognition violates constitutional provisions.
The parties listed in the case include the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
According to court filings, the AGF argued that INEC has failed in its constitutional duty by retaining parties that do not meet the minimum performance requirements outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
“The right to associate as a political party is not absolute and must be exercised within constitutional limits,” the AGF stated, warning that without court intervention, INEC would “continue to act in breach of its constitutional duty.”
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, with INEC and the AGF listed as defendants.
The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional benchmarks, including securing at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during presidential elections or winning seats at the national, state, or local government levels.
They noted that despite poor performances in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections, the parties remain registered, describing the situation as unlawful and harmful to Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
In a supporting affidavit, the forum’s National Coordinator, Igbokwe Raphael Nnanna, said allowing such parties to remain on the register is “unconstitutional, illegal and a violation” of the legal framework guiding political party operations.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have accused the administration of Bola Tinubu of attempting to suppress dissent, alleging that internal crises within their ranks are being politically influenced—an allegation the government has denied.
