By Abimbola Ajayi
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has opposed the proposed deregistration of some political parties, describing the move as unconstitutional and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic development.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties in a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The affected parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The forum had asked the court to determine whether INEC had a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that failed to meet the electoral performance thresholds stipulated in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
It argued that the requirement was further reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC regulations.
Reacting to the development, Adebayo, in a statement on his X handle, said there was no constitutional, legal or moral basis for suppressing alternative political platforms through government action backed by judicial orders.
He expressed concern that the development came shortly after the country marked Democracy Day with celebrations, national honours and renewed commitments to democratic values.
Although the SDP is not among the parties reportedly affected, Adebayo said remaining silent in the face of what he described as injustice would amount to abandoning democratic principles.
He urged Nigerians and democracy advocates to support the affected parties, arguing that Nigeria’s social, cultural, religious, economic and ideological diversity required a broad range of political platforms through which citizens could pursue their aspirations.
The SDP candidate pledged to support the affected parties in their pursuit of justice through lawful means, stressing that democratic participation should not be restricted.
Adebayo also called for constitutional reforms to remove the powers of INEC to register or deregister political parties, limiting the commission’s mandate to conducting free, fair and credible elections.
He proposed a system where political associations would be allowed to field candidates, subject to statutory deposits, while parties that failed to secure a minimum percentage of votes would forfeit such deposits.
The SDP presidential candidate warned against policies capable of increasing political tension in the country, urging leaders to focus on strengthening democratic institutions and promoting national development.
He further offered to personally support the affected parties in challenging the decision through all legitimate and constitutional means.
Adebayo maintained that no democratic platform should be arbitrarily denied the right to participate in Nigeria’s political process.
