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The National Leader of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere (APP–Imo), has warned that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the deregistration of five political parties is an invitation to anarchy.
Ugochinyere made the remark on Monday in Abuja while addressing journalists, describing the decision as an “invitation to anarchy” and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic order.
The NPO Reported reported on Monday that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over their alleged failure to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The suit was instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which sought an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the parties from its register.
Ugochinyere, a member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo said that the judgment, if allowed to stand, could push the country towards a dangerous path of political instability.
According to him, democracy cannot thrive where legitimate political parties are excluded from the electoral process through judicial pronouncements that allegedly disregard superior court decisions.
“Our nation cannot be allowed to degenerate to that level. This judgment is an invitation to anarchy. Political parties cannot simply be wiped out in a democracy; that is not what democracy represents,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that APP and the affected parties would remain validly registered entities and would participate in future elections as multiple court decisions had already settled the constitutional requirements for political parties to retain their registration.
He claimed that at least three Federal High Court judgments, a Court of Appeal decision and a Supreme Court ruling had interpreted Section 225A of the Constitution.
According to him, they concluded that political parties which secured electoral victories, including councillorship, chairmanship, state assembly, House of Representatives or other elective positions, could not be deregistered.
Ugochinyere said that ignoring those judicial precedents as well as submissions by the INEC which he said acknowledged that the affected parties had met constitutional requirements to remain registered was not acceptable.
He said that INEC had informed the court that ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi during the 2023 elections, while APP secured a local government chairmanship seat in Jigawa state.
According to him, Accord Party won a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly, while other affected parties also recorded electoral victories that satisfied constitutional thresholds.
“INEC itself told the court that these parties met the constitutional requirements. Yet the judgment proceeded regardless.
“That is why many Nigerians are worried about the implications for democracy and the rule of law,” he stated.
Ugochinyere urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to convene an emergency meeting to investigate the circumstances surrounding the judgment and take disciplinary action if necessary.
He also called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to defend the integrity of the judiciary, saying that public confidence in the justice system could be eroded if allegations of disregard for superior court decisions were left unaddressed.