INEC Defies Pressure, Buries Plot to Silence ADC

A fresh twist has emerged in the legal tussle over the status of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally opposed moves believed to be backed by the Federal Government seeking the party’s deregistration.

This correspondent, who exclusively obtained a copy of the court document, reports that INEC, in a robust and unequivocal submission before the court, dismantled the legal foundation of the application, insisting that it fails to meet the constitutional conditions required for the deregistration of a political party.

In the filing, the Commission made it clear that the power to deregister political parties is neither discretionary nor susceptible to political pressure, but is strictly governed by extant laws and constitutional provisions. INEC argued that none of the legally recognised triggers for deregistration—such as failure to meet electoral performance thresholds or breach of registration requirements—had been credibly established against the ADC.

Legal experts say the Commission’s position delivers a major blow to the proponents of the suit and signals a likely collapse of the case, given INEC’s central and constitutionally protected role as the regulator of political parties in Nigeria.

More significantly, the document is being interpreted in legal and political circles as a bold institutional pushback against what many perceive as an attempt to weaponise judicial processes for partisan advantage. Observers note that INEC’s resistance reinforces its independence at a time when concerns have been raised about increasing political interference in democratic institutions.

Reacting to the development, Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, described the move to deregister the ADC as “a desperate and failed plot conceived in the shadows of fear.”

According to him, “What we are witnessing is the unraveling of a poorly scripted political ambush designed to cripple opposition voices. The fact that INEC itself has come forward to puncture the legal vacuum of this application speaks volumes. It confirms what Nigerians already suspect—that this was never about law, but about intimidation.”

He added that the development should serve as a warning to those who believe democracy can be manipulated through institutional coercion.

“No democracy survives where the ruling party seeks to eliminate competition through the backdoor. Today, it is ADC. Tomorrow, it could be any platform that refuses to bow. But let it be known: Nigeria is bigger than any administration, and its democratic space cannot be shrunk to accommodate political insecurity,” Shaibu said.

While the matter remains sub judice, the contents of the court filing suggest that the attempt to deregister the ADC may have suffered a fatal legal setback, with INEC’s position likely to play a decisive role in the court’s eventual ruling.

As of the time of filing this report, efforts to get official reactions from both INEC and ADC were ongoing.