A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strike out five political parties from its register over their poor electoral performance.

The ruling, delivered on Monday by one of the court’s justices, Peter Lifu, affected the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

According to TheCable, the judge held that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional conditions required for political parties to retain their registration and consequently instructed INEC to remove them from the list of recognised parties.

Lifu also ruled that the affected parties should not be allowed to take part in future elections, including the 2027 general election.

The decision followed a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The group had approached the court, arguing that the parties no longer met the legal standards needed to remain registered.

INEC was listed as the first defendant in the case, while the Attorney-General of the Federation was also joined as a party.

According to the plaintiffs, the political organisations failed to demonstrate the level of electoral support required under the Constitution. They maintained that political parties are expected to achieve certain benchmarks during elections, including obtaining at least 25 per cent of votes in specified contests or securing elective positions.

The forum asked the court to determine whether INEC had a constitutional obligation to remove parties that failed to meet the requirements contained in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

It further requested an order compelling the electoral body to delist the parties before preparations for the 2027 elections begin in earnest.

The plaintiffs additionally sought restrictions preventing the affected parties from conducting primaries, holding campaign activities, organising political gatherings, or participating in electoral processes until they comply with constitutional provisions.

In his judgment, the judge agreed with the arguments presented by the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to deregister the five parties.