Attorney General Backs Legal Bid to Deregister ADC and Other Minority Political Parties

Nigeria's Attorney General backs a Federal High Court suit to deregister the ADC and other parties over constitutional breaches. Read the impact on 2027 polls.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 1, 2026, 11:26 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Business Hallmark

The Federal Government Aligns with Party Deregistration

In a significant legal development at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Attorney General of the Federation has signaled full support for a lawsuit aimed at thinning Nigeria's political field. By filing a notice in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, the AGF has officially aligned with a plaintiff seeking the removal of several parties from the national register. The parties targeted in this legal action include the African Democratic Congress, Accord, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and the Zenith Labour Party, all of which are alleged to have breached specific constitutional provisions.

The Constitutional Mandate for Enforcement

The office of the AGF, acting as the primary custodian of the Nigerian Constitution, grounded its support for the suit in its responsibility to defend and enforce the nation’s supreme laws. Relying on Section 150(1) of the Constitution, the filing emphasized that the Attorney General is empowered to oversee the rigorous application of the Electoral Act. The notice argues that the AGF’s dual role as a state representative and a defender of citizen rights necessitates active participation in cases where the integrity of the electoral system is at stake.

Addressing the Proliferation of Non-Performing Parties

A central argument in the AGF's filing is the potential for administrative chaos caused by an overcrowded electoral ballot. The document contends that allowing political parties that fail to meet constitutional thresholds to persist creates an unnecessary burden on public funds and undermines the efficiency of the Independent National Electoral Commission. According to the AGF, an inflated ballot paper complicates the voting process for citizens and increases the logistical costs of every national election cycle, which runs contrary to the original intent of the framers of the Constitution.