The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.

The other political parties the court directed the electoral body to deregister are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The court order followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu.

The National Forum of Former Legislators had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, prayed the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.

It was the position of the plaintiff that the five political parties listed as defendants in the matter had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.

The former legislators stressed that the requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.

They told the court that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.

The litigants insisted that the continued existence of the ADC and the other defendants as recognised political parties is unlawful and undermines the integrity of the country’s electoral system.

Among other reliefs, the plaintiff urged the court to declare that INEC is duty-bound to deregister such parties.

It further urged the court to compel the commission to deregister the five political parties before preparations for the 2027 elections advance further.

Beyond declaratory reliefs, the plaintiff prayed the court to restrain the five affected parties from participating in general elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies, and primaries.

It also sought a court injunction restraining INEC from recognising or dealing with the parties in any official capacity unless and until they strictly comply with constitutional provisions.

The judgment may affect the chances of candidates of the affected political parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to contest the 2027 presidential poll.

Former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, has endorsed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office, saying the governor has done exceedingly well.

Nnaji announced the endorsement while fielding questions from Government House correspondents during a visit to Mbah on Monday, citing several landmark achievements of the governor in just three years.

The former Minister said he was unavoidably absent at the weekend when the people of Enugu East Senatorial District endorsed Mbah and President Tinubu at a massive rally, but maintained that politics was about lineup and he was fully in support of the president’s endorsement and reelection.

Prof Barth Nnaji and Gov Peter Mbah

“It should not be a surprise that I am in support of my younger brother. You may not be aware that during the run-up to the 2023 election, I led a group of key stakeholders in Nkanu East to campaign, going to all the key stakeholders in Enugu State, asking them to, please, consider Nkanu East; that we had not had the opportunity of holding this position. And because of that lack of opportunity, Nkanu East was about the only local government that did not have any real government presence.

“If you are in, say, the Idodo area where the governor and I come from, you had to go through four local governments before you got to the headquarters of our own LGA. This needed to change. And so now all that is changing because of the work of His Excellency, our governor. And you can see that to go from that Idodo area to Amagunze, our local government headquarters, is now a matter of a few minutes. That has totally changed the calculation,” he stated.

Continuing, he lauded the governor’s strides in the areas of security, infrastructure, and healthcare, which he said were not only critical enablers of economic growth, but also key to reversing brain drain and overseas medical tourism.

“There are so many other reasons why we have to all come and encourage our governor for what he is doing and to do more.

Gov Peter Mbah and Prof Barth Nnaji

“I was just talking with him about the two major criteria for people to come back to Nigeria instead of the ‘Japa’ syndrome of running away. Those two would be security, and the second is high-quality healthcare. So, the development of the Enugu International Hospital, which will have the sort of equipment that people run elsewhere to access, is something that is quite innovative for Nigeria.

“We are not lacking in high-quality doctors because we have them, except that many of them have run away. So, this hospital here will bring them back and begin to reverse healthcare tourism.

“Then there are all the infrastructure projects, the roads of standard quality that have been built or are ongoing across the state, and so on.

“Therefore, my presence here is to encourage him and support him so that by the next term, we should be able to see a lot more. That is the point,” he added.

Nnaji urged other people jostling for the office of governor in 2027 to join hands with the governor to consolidate on his achievements and actualise his lofty vision for the state.

Citing his personal experiences, he described Mbah as a listening leader and called on other stakeholders in the state to offer their advice where necessary.

“The whole idea is for all of us to join together to support the governor for the next term. It is okay for people to run for office, but you have to look at the future. What are we really trying to gain?

“If we are doing well, then the thing is to encourage the governor and his government to do more for the people.

“The other thing is that key stakeholders in the state should be able to come and be part of advising for the better. I mean, a governor is not God. A governor is a person of excellence who should be able to move the state forward. But in doing so, wherever there are things that are not going the way people want, we should be able to tell him. And he will listen. I believe he absolutely listens. From all the discussions that we have been having, I know he listens,” he concluded.

On Tinubu’s reelection, he asserted, “On the support for the President, there is a lineup for the office. And that lineup is very important – both the up-ballot and down-ballot candidates usually have to be supported by clear-thinking people. That is what we are doing.”

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The people of Enugu East Senatorial District have endorsed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office, pledging massive votes for the duo in the 2027 general election.

They said that Mbah’s campaign vision to make Enugu State one of the leading economies in Nigeria, create jobs for the youths, modernise infrastructure, secure communities, and reposition education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and technology had transcended promises to become a living and evident reality.

Tagged Ofu Obi Mega Rally and widely described as the mother of all rallies in the state in many years, the people, known as the Nkanu clan, equally said the state’s connection with the centre and partnership with the Tinubu Administration had yielded dividends in the form of strategic appointments, projects, and federal interventions.

Gov Mbah and Chief Jim Nwobodo

The Ofu Obi rally, which held at the Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday, equally witnessed the donation of the sum of N300m towards Mbah’s reflection and an Ofo staff (symbol of authority, justice, and endorsement) to the governor by the traditional rulers.

In their speeches, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, and Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the massive turnout was a mark of gratitude for the turnaround of the state by the Mbah Administration and Tinubu’s support.

“Across all the sectors, the evidence of transformational leadership is speaking louder than propaganda. The people can see the difference. The people can testify that Enugu State is moving forward with confidence and speed.

“Indeed, if it were possible to borrow governors, other states would have been lining up to borrow our governor,” Ogbodo declared.

In declaring full support for Mbah and Tinubu, former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, declared that people engaged in certificate forgery or sacked from federal appointments should have no business the state’s governorship seat.

“I am one of those who said that Mbah has vision and he is rich in ideas and educational strategy.

“But if you are rich in certificate forgery, you can’t make a good leader. Nkanu people don’t associate with such shameful acts, people who procure certificates at Oluwole Street. If there are people aspiring to occupy offices, they must check their records properly.

“Anyone who cannot hold a federal office with pride or confidence has nothing to aspire to in seeking a state office.

“Again, anybody who is aspiring to be governor or anything else out of anger because you felt that the incumbent annoyed you will make a terrible governor if you come in. That means you have no vision. You are coming in with anger and if you come in with anger, you will do the wrong thing.

“So, as far as I can see, we have only one candidate who is running for governor, and that is Governor Peter Mbah. We won’t use the governorship seat to try our luck. Period,” he stated.

Elder statesman and former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, maintained that Mbah would be supported by all for his performance, irrespective of political party, asking anyone else dreaming of becoming governor in 2027 to rest his ambition.

“Everyone will vote for Peter Mbah – APC, Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Africa Democratic Congress, and the rest because you have performed wonderfully well. Also, Enugu West went for two terms and Nsukka Zone went for two terms. So, we must go for our own two terms,” he added.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, who was accompanied by the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and other federal dignitaries, said Mbah and Tinubu had redefined the art of governance through bold and Inclusive policies that have benefitted Ndigbo and Enugu State.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Governor Mbah lauded the people of the zone and state for their courage in investing their trust in him back in 2023 when he had only a vision to sell, acknowledging that it was hard to place faith in something that had not yet taken shape.

“But because you were willing to take that leap of faith, something remarkable happened: Smart Green Schools in every ward; healthcare moving closer to families; roads connecting communities; water returning where people waited too long; modern transport terminals served by air-conditioned buses with Wi-Fi; Enugu Air opening new pathways to the world; investors arriving; conferences coming; businesses taking a fresh look at Enugu; and the list goes on.

“A few days from now, we will break ground on a 660MW coal-fired power plant that moves us closer to a future where our people no longer plan their lives around darkness.

“In a literal sense, the lights will go on in Enugu permanently,” he said.

Mbah saluted President Tinubu’s courageous reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said were repositioning the national economy and strengthening states’ capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy.

“By taking difficult decisions and freeing up resources that had long been trapped in an unsustainable subsidy system, he has given the states greater agency, both in the responsibility and the resources to act,” he said.

He equally called for patience, enjoining the people to promote and protect the gains of the last three years in the state to full maturity, urging them to be mindful of political opportunists and the dangers of poverty of imagination, small politics, provincial thinking, and complacency.

“Several months from now, we will face another general election. This is not the moment to drift. A people who are building something precious must remain alert.

“Political cowboys will surface. Some will bring noise; some will bring anger; some will bring division. We will bring results. Our answer must be clarity. Our answer must be unity. Our answer must be the work,” he concluded.

Other speakers at the event include the Deputy National Chairman (South) of APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye; lawmaker representing Enugu East, Senator Kelvin Chukwu as well as Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, Hon. Iloabuchi Aniagu, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, Sydney Edeh, and Prof. Oguejiofor Ujam, who spoke for their respective constiencies.

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