Abuja, June 16, 2026 — The National Leader of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Ikenga Ugochinyere, has strongly criticised a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that ordered the deregistration of five political parties, warning that the decision could destabilise Nigeria’s democratic system.
Speaking to journalists on Monday in Abuja, Ugochinyere described the judgment as alarming and capable of undermining democratic stability in the country.
The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had earlier directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), citing alleged failure to meet constitutional conditions for continued registration.
The case was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which asked the court to compel INEC to delist the affected parties.
Reacting, Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, argued that the ruling, if upheld, could trigger political instability and weaken democratic inclusion.
He insisted that political parties could not be removed from the electoral process through what he described as interpretations that ignore established higher court decisions.
He said APP and the other affected parties remain validly registered, adding that several past judicial pronouncements had already clarified the constitutional provisions guiding party registration and deregistration.
According to him, at least three Federal High Court rulings, a Court of Appeal decision, and a Supreme Court judgment have interpreted Section 225A of the Constitution to mean that political parties that have recorded electoral victories—whether at councillorship, chairmanship, state assembly, or federal levels—cannot be deregistered.
Ugochinyere also maintained that INEC itself informed the court that some of the parties had recorded electoral wins, including ADC’s two House of Representatives seats in Kogi State during the 2023 elections, APP’s local government chairmanship seat in Jigawa State, and Accord Party’s seat in the Imo State House of Assembly.
He argued that these outcomes met the constitutional threshold required for continued registration of political parties.
The lawmaker further expressed concern that the court proceeded with its decision despite what he described as clear evidence and prior judicial guidance, warning that such developments could undermine public trust in the judiciary.
He called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to urgently review the circumstances surrounding the ruling and take appropriate action where necessary.
Ugochinyere also urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to safeguard the integrity of the judiciary, stressing that failure to address such issues could erode confidence in the justice system.