Member of the House of Representatives and National Leader of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere, has rejected the Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of five political parties in Nigeria, describing the ruling as dangerous for the country’s democratic system.
Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, made his position known on Monday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He said the decision amounted to what he described as an “invitation to anarchy,” warning that it could undermine political stability and democratic participation in Nigeria.
The judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, 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 alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The case was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which had asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the affected parties from its official register.
Reacting, Ugochinyere insisted that political parties cannot be eliminated through judicial decisions that, according to him, contradict existing legal precedents and superior court rulings.
“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 the APP and other affected parties remain validly registered and eligible to participate in elections, citing previous judicial interpretations of Section 225A of the Constitution.
He argued that multiple court decisions, including rulings from the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, had clarified conditions under which political parties could retain registration status.
According to him, these rulings established that political parties that have recorded electoral victories at various levels should not be deregistered.
Ugochinyere further claimed that INEC had informed the court that some of the affected parties had recorded electoral wins in the 2023 general elections.
He said the ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi State, while the APP secured a local government chairmanship seat in Jigawa State.
He also noted that the Accord Party won a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly, adding that other affected parties also met constitutional thresholds through electoral participation and victories.
The lawmaker argued that proceeding with deregistration despite INEC’s position and existing judicial interpretations raises concerns about fairness and democratic stability.
He therefore called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to urgently review the judgment and take appropriate action where necessary.
Ugochinyere also urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to safeguard judicial integrity and ensure that public confidence in the justice system is not eroded.
