ADC rejects deregistration order, vows NJC petition against judge

THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has pushed back against a federal high court ruling ordering its deregistration, accusing the judiciary of being used to stifle opposition politics and pledging to petition the National Judicial Council (NJC).

In a statement released on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja as a grave threat to democratic governance and the rule of law.

Justice Lifu had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties – the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) – over their performance in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections.

But the ADC insisted that the ruling lacked legal foundation, arguing that INEC itself had informed the court that there was no constitutional basis for the party’s deregistration.

According to Abdullahi, the electoral commission maintained that the ADC had complied with all registration requirements and had not fallen short of any legally recognised electoral threshold.

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The opposition party also questioned the circumstances surrounding the judgment, alleging that the court proceeded with the matter despite an existing court of appeal order issued on May 22, 2026, directing a stay of proceedings.

“The ADC finds it troubling that the trial judge was aware of a subsisting order of the court of appeal issued on May 22, 2026, directing a stay of proceedings on the matter,” Abdullahi said.

“The judge, however, chose to flagrantly and contemptuously disregard a clear order of a superior court.”

The party further alleged that the suit was driven by interests linked to the ruling party and formed part of a broader strategy to weaken opposition forces before the 2027 elections.

Abdullahi warned that any effort to remove a major opposition platform through judicial means could destabilise the democratic process and undermine the political rights of hundreds of candidates.

Describing the verdict as ‘reckless, provocative and incendiary,’ he said the ADC would exhaust all legal avenues to overturn the ruling while rallying democratic stakeholders in defence of multiparty democracy.

The party also announced plans to file a petition against Justice Lifu before the National Judicial Council, accusing him of conduct that has brought the judiciary into disrepute.

“We reject any and all attempts to intimidate, suppress, deregister, or politically extinguish our party and other opposition parties through means that offend both the spirit and the letter of the constitution,” Abdullahi said.

He added that regardless of the legal battle ahead, the ADC remains determined to participate in the next general election.

“Whatever it takes, the ADC will be on the ballot so long as the 2027 election is to hold,” he said.