Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, condemns a Federal High Court order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties. In posts and statements on Monday on X, Sowore says the move is undemocratic and unjustifiable in a multi-party democracy, adding that it should “not stand.” He argues the parties have already concluded their primaries and are preparing for elections.
The ruling is attributed to Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court orders INEC to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other parties from the list of recognised political parties, after finding they allegedly failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration. The judgment cites Section 225 of Nigeria’s Constitution, which empowers INEC to deregister parties that do not secure elective positions in federal, state, and local government elections. The affected parties identified across reports are ADC, the Action Peoples Party, the Action Alliance, the Accord Party, and the Zenith Labour Party.
