The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opposed efforts to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stating that the application does not meet the constitutional and legal requirements for such a move.
According to reports, INEC in its filing before the court, rejected the application to deregister the party, insisting that none of the constitutionally recognized grounds for deregistration had been met. INEC stated that the power to deregister political parties is strictly regulated by law and cannot be exercised arbitrarily or under political influence.
“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 submission to the court.
The commission emphasized that there was no evidence that the ADC had breached any registration requirements or failed to meet the necessary electoral performance thresholds, which are key criteria for deregistration.
Legal analysts say that INEC’s stance significantly weakens the case and could lead to its collapse, given the commission’s central role in regulating political parties in Nigeria.
The filing has also been interpreted in some circles as an institutional pushback against attempts to use the judiciary for partisan purposes.
Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticized the move to deregister the ADC, describing it as politically motivated. “What we are witnessing is the unravelling of a poorly scripted political ambush designed to cripple opposition voices,” Shaibu said.
Shaibu added that INEC’s filing validates concerns about the legal vacuum surrounding the case. “The fact that INEC itself has come forward to puncture the legal vacuum of this application speaks volumes,” he said, arguing that the move was not about law but intimidation.
Shaibu further warned that attempts to weaken political competition threaten Nigeria’s democracy. “No democracy survives where the ruling party seeks to eliminate competition through the back door,” he said. “Nigeria is bigger than any administration, and its democratic space cannot be shrunk to accommodate political insecurity.”
