Court orders INEC to deregister Accord, ADC — Adeleke in trouble

Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered INEC to deregister five political parties including Accord Party where Governor Ademola Adeleke is running for re-election in Osun. The judge Peter Lifu said the parties failed to meet constitutional performance thresholds from the 2023 elections.

This one is serious o. Accord is the platform Adeleke defected to from PDP in December 2025 after internal crisis. Now with the August 15 governorship election approaching and the window to change parties already closed, this ruling could block him from contesting entirely. Nigerian law does not allow independent candidacy so if Accord loses registration, Adeleke has no party to stand on.

Adeleke's media aide Samakin AbdulJeleel said the ruling cannot stand because the same case is already at the Court of Appeal adjourned to September 2026. But legal experts say even if the appeal eventually overturns it, the uncertainty right now is dangerous for his campaign. How can you run a rally tomorrow declaring your intention when your party might not even exist on election day?