Ugochinyere Blasts Court Over Deregistration Of ADC, Others, Calls It Threat To Democracy

The member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has condemned the Federal High Court judgment over the deregistration of five political parties.

Naija News reported that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Reacting to the development in Abuja on Monday, Ugochinyere described the decision as a grave threat to Nigeria’s democratic order and an apparent disregard for established judicial precedents.

The suit, instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators, sought an order compelling INEC to remove the parties from its register on the grounds that they had allegedly failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.

Faulting the judgment, the lawmaker warned that allowing the decision to stand could set a dangerous precedent for democratic participation and political pluralism in the country.

“Our nation cannot be allowed to degenerate to that level. This judgment is an invitation to anarchy. Political parties cannot simply be wiped out in a democracy because that is not what democracy represents,” he said.

Ugochinyere maintained that the affected parties remain validly registered political entities and would continue to participate in Nigeria’s electoral process, arguing that the constitutional issues surrounding party deregistration had already been settled by superior courts.

According to him, multiple judgments of the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have interpreted Section 225A of the Constitution and established that political parties which have secured electoral victories cannot be deregistered.

He contended that the ruling overlooked existing judicial authorities as well as submissions made by INEC during the proceedings.

The lawmaker claimed that the electoral commission informed the court that the affected parties had satisfied constitutional requirements by winning elective positions in previous elections.

He cited instances where the ADC secured two seats in the House of Representatives from Kogi State during the 2023 general election, while the APP won a local government chairmanship seat in Jigawa State. He also pointed to the Accord Party’s victory in a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly, among other electoral successes recorded by the affected parties.

“INEC itself told the court that these parties met the constitutional requirements. Yet the judgment proceeded regardless. That is why many Nigerians are worried about the implications for democracy and the rule of law,” he stated.

Beyond challenging the substance of the ruling, Ugochinyere questioned the circumstances under which the judgment was delivered, alleging that the court proceeded despite the existence of a Court of Appeal order staying proceedings pending the determination of an appeal.

He described the development as unprecedented and called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to immediately investigate the matter.

The lawmaker urged the judicial regulatory body to convene an emergency meeting and impose sanctions if it finds that due judicial process was not followed.

He also called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take an active interest in the matter, warning that public confidence in the judiciary could be undermined if allegations of disregard for superior court decisions were left unresolved.

“The judiciary remains the last hope of the common man. If judgments of superior courts can be ignored, then we are endangering one of the most important institutions of our democracy,” he said.

Ugochinyere insisted that neither the APP nor the other affected parties would cease political activities as a result of the judgment, stressing that they would continue preparations for future elections while pursuing legal remedies.

He further warned against attempts to narrow Nigeria’s democratic space ahead of the 2027 general election, arguing that democracy flourishes when citizens are presented with diverse political choices.

“Let all political parties participate and let Nigerians decide who they want. Democracy is about participation and competition, not exclusion,” he said.