Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Accord Party and others from participating in the 2027 general elections over alleged constitutional breaches.
Justice Lifu issued the order on Monday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by a group of former lawmakers in the country.
By this judgment, former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the ADC Atiku Abubakar has no platform to stand for the forthcoming presidential election.
Similarly, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, billed to re-contest in the August 15 governorship election on the platform of the Accord Party has been kicked out of the race.
In the judgment, Justice Lifu barred INEC from further according the parties’ recognition, accepting nominations of candidates from the affected parties or giving effect to their activities for the purpose of participating in the 2027 general elections.
In the same vein, the Judge directed the parties to stop parading themselves as registered political parties in the country.
A civil society group, the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, NFFL, had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the court, praying for an order to compel it to deregister the five parties and prohibit them from participating in political activities in the country.
INEC had, however, countered the suit in its defence, describing the plaintiff as a busybody who lacked locus standi (legal right) to file the suit and had asked the court to dismiss it for being unmeritorious.
Credit: dailypost.ng
