Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has faulted the Federal High Court judgment directing the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties, warning that the decision could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
Secondus argued that democracy flourishes when citizens have a wide range of political choices, stressing that any action capable of shrinking the political space should be viewed with concern. He maintained that opposition parties play a vital role in strengthening democratic governance and ensuring accountability.
The controversy followed a ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party over alleged failure to satisfy constitutional requirements tied to electoral performance. The court further directed that the affected parties should not participate in future elections, including the 2027 general election.
Reacting to the judgment, Secondus described the development as a setback for democratic growth and urged political stakeholders to safeguard institutions that guarantee political inclusion and electoral competition.
