A Nigerian federal court issued a ruling Monday directing the country’s electoral authority to remove one of the nation’s prominent opposition parties — along with four other political organizations — from its official register, citing failures to meet constitutional standards.
Federal High Court Judge Peter Lifu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to strike the African Democratic Congress and the four other parties from its rolls. The decision came in response to complaints brought by former lawmakers who argued the parties had not reached the minimum performance benchmarks required under Nigerian law.
Under Nigerian law, a political party must either win at least one elected position at any level of government or receive no less than 25% of votes cast in a state during a presidential election. Parties that fall short of these thresholds face the possibility of being removed from the electoral register.
The court’s decision creates a significant obstacle for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had been running as the ADC’s presidential candidate and was considered one of the strongest challengers to President Bola Tinubu. The ruling could significantly reduce the number of opposition candidates competing in the race ahead of next January’s elections.
ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi sharply criticized the decision, describing it as “a direct invitation to anarchy.” He confirmed the party intends to challenge the ruling through all available legal and constitutional channels.
