RismadarVoice Reporters
May 21, 2026
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has welcomed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullifying aspects of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines relating to timelines for party activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the ruling as a vindication of its earlier objections to some provisions of the electoral body’s regulations.
According to the party, it had opposed the strict timelines imposed by INEC on membership registration and the conduct of party primaries when the guidelines were introduced.
“The decision of the Court on these issues, including those that directly contradict the Constitution, is therefore a welcome vindication of our position,” the statement read.
The party further stated that the judgment would strengthen freedom of association by removing restrictions that could hinder politicians from changing political parties ahead of elections.
ADC alleged that some of the regulations were designed to discourage defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We believed at the time that that particular restriction was designed to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC. Now that the court has ruled against it, we are sure that, in the coming days, we will witness a mass exodus from the ruling party,” Abdullahi said.
The Federal High Court had earlier ruled that INEC could not abridge timelines already provided under the Electoral Act 2026, declaring invalid the commission’s earlier directive requiring political parties to submit membership registers by May 10.
The court held that political parties are entitled to operate within the statutory timeframe provided by law.
