A fresh development has emerged in the legal battle surrounding the status of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally opposed efforts seeking the party’s deregistration.
Court documents obtained by this correspondent reveal that INEC, in its submission before the court, rejected the application and argued that it failed to satisfy the constitutional and statutory conditions required for the deregistration of a political party.
According to the electoral commission, the authority to deregister political parties is strictly governed by existing laws and constitutional provisions and cannot be exercised arbitrarily or influenced by political considerations.
INEC maintained that none of the legally recognised conditions for deregistration had been established against the ADC.
The commission noted that issues such as failure to meet electoral performance benchmarks or violations of registration requirements, which are among the constitutional grounds for deregistration, have not been proven in the case of the opposition party.
“The power to deregister political parties is neither discretionary nor subject to political pressure, but strictly governed by extant laws and constitutional provisions,” INEC stated in its court filing.
The position taken by the commission has been interpreted by legal analysts as a major setback for the case seeking the ADC’s deregistration.
Observers say INEC’s opposition significantly weakens the legal challenge, given its constitutional role as Nigeria’s primary regulator of political parties and electoral processes.
Within political and legal circles, the filing is also being viewed as an institutional pushback against what some have described as attempts to deploy judicial processes for partisan political objectives.
Reacting to the development, Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, described the move to deregister the ADC as politically driven.
“What we are witnessing is the unravelling of a poorly scripted political ambush designed to cripple opposition voices,” Shaibu said.
He argued that INEC’s position reinforces long-standing concerns over the motive behind the case.
“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 stated.
Shaibu further cautioned against actions that could weaken Nigeria’s democratic competitiveness.
“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,” he added.
The matter remains before the court for determination.
As of the time of filing this report, no official reaction had been issued by either the ADC or INEC beyond the court documents already submitted.
The outcome of the case is expected to carry significant implications for Nigeria’s opposition politics, particularly as political parties continue to reposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
What You Should Know
INEC’s opposition to the ADC deregistration suit represents a significant legal and political development.
Under Nigeria’s constitution, political parties can only be deregistered under clearly defined conditions, including poor electoral performance or failure to comply with registration rules. By stating that no such conditions have been established against the ADC, INEC has effectively weakened the case.
The dispute comes at a politically sensitive time as opposition parties are experiencing internal realignments ahead of 2027.
The court’s eventual ruling could shape the future of opposition politics and clarify the limits of judicial intervention in party deregistration matters.
