Renowned Columnist and public affairs analyst, Farooq Kperogi, has condemned the Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the decision as an assault on democratic pluralism and the rule of law.
In a statement issued on Monday, Kperogi argued that the court’s decision was inconsistent with the electoral performance of the ADC in the 2023 general elections, insisting that the party had met the constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered INEC to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties over alleged failure to satisfy constitutional electoral performance thresholds.
Justice Peter Lifu also directed that the affected parties should not participate in future elections, including the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to the ruling, Kperogi maintained that the ADC secured two seats in the House of Representatives and one seat in the Kogi State House of Assembly during the 2023 elections, records which he said remain publicly available through INEC.
According to him, Section 225A of the Constitution only permits the deregistration of political parties that fail to win at least one seat in the National Assembly or a State House of Assembly, a condition he argued the ADC clearly fulfilled.
He further contended that the subsequent defection of elected officials from the party could not invalidate the electoral victories recorded by the ADC during the election.
“Defection is not retroactive electoral defeat. A party that won seats cannot be treated as a party that won none,” Kperogi stated.
The media scholar also argued that if defections out of the ADC were to be considered, then defections into the party should equally count in assessing its political strength. He claimed that several federal lawmakers had recently aligned with the party amid ongoing political realignments.
Kperogi warned that the ruling could have wider implications for Nigeria’s democratic system, saying it raised concerns about the role of the judiciary in determining the survival of political parties.
He expressed fears that allowing courts to remove parties from the electoral process on grounds allegedly contradicted by official election records could undermine voter confidence, limit political competition and weaken democratic choice.
