Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Accord Party has issued a defiant rejection of recent moves by the Attorney General of the Federation to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to strike its name off the national register of political parties, insisting that its string of electoral victories, including the capture of the Osun State governorship and multiple seats in the National Assembly, renders any such action unconstitutional and politically mischievous. In a statement issued on Monday, May 4, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, dismissed the deregistration threat as baseless, driven by ignorance or outright political conspiracy, and warned that the party would not be bullied off the stage by legal strong‑arm tactics. His response came just days after the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, filed processes before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to compel INEC to deregister five political parties, arguing that their continued recognition violates constitutional provisions and undermines Nigeria’s electoral integrity. The suit, which names the African Democratic Congress, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party as targets, is scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
At the heart of Accord’s argument is Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Omorogbe pointed out that under that provision, a political party can only be deregistered on specific grounds. Chief among them is failure to win at least one seat in a councillorship, state, or national assembly election, or to secure a minimum threshold of votes in presidential or governorship polls. On this terrain, Accord stood firm. Omorogbe noted that the party has won councillorship seats in Jigawa State, specifically the Ajaura Ward in Taura Local Government Area won by Zahairu Usman and the Kanwa Ward in Jahun Local Government Area won by Isa Alhaji, with the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission issuing certificates of return to both candidates. The party also recalled that it won the Ideato South State House of Assembly seat in Imo State during the April 15, 2023 election, a victory that remains on its record even though an election tribunal later nullified it.
But the party’s most formidable argument lies in its major political acquisition, the sitting Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke. Adeleke, who emerged as the Accord Party’s governorship candidate for the August 8, 2026, election, is widely expected to retain the state for the party in a contest that political analysts have tipped as a referendum on the party’s national relevance. In the statement, Omorogbe revealed that in addition to Governor Adeleke, the party has in its fold a Senator, six House of Representatives members, 24 State House of Assembly members, and numerous citizens who have aligned with the Accord progressive ideology of oneness and progress. This network of elected officials, he argued, makes any claim about the party’s lack of electoral viability absurd. “As Nigerians seek to be in one accord, His Excellency Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State joined the party along with a Senator, six House of Representatives members, 24 State House of Assembly members, and numerous citizens who align with the Accord progressive ideology of oneness and progress in the quest for sustainable development and democracy,” Omorogbe declared.
The deregistration suit itself has drawn sharp criticism not only from Accord but also from legal experts who have questioned the AGF’s decision to side with the plaintiffs in a suit where he is technically a defendant. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, who are asking the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties. Inexplicably, the AGF, who is listed as a defendant, has filed processes backing the plaintiffs’ position, an extraordinary move that Omorogbe described as “the worst assault on the nation’s democracy and a mockery of the esteemed office of the Attorney General.” The party accused Fagbemi of partisanship and of failing to verify the party’s electoral records before taking a position that could have devastating consequences for political pluralism in Nigeria.
“Accord is constrained to put the record straight following the reaction of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who is a defendant in the suit, but turned around to side the plaintiffs (former lawmakers) to demand the deregistration of the parties listed in the suit,” Omorogbe said. He went further, questioning how the AGF could ignore the clear wording of Section 225A and the party’s demonstrable electoral presence. “It is evident that our great party, Accord, met this clear provision of the constitution, thus exempted and excluded from deregistration by the electoral umpire. The insinuation and rumours peddled by political opponents that Accord would be deregistered due to a matter in court, which the Attorney General and Minister of Justice recently supported, has no effect whatsoever on our party.”
Accord also pointed to INEC’s own verification exercise conducted recently at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja as proof that the commission recognises its compliance with existing regulations. Omorogbe argued that INEC would not have carried out such an exercise if the party were indeed in breach of registration requirements. He further dismissed the suit filed by the self‑styled former lawmakers as legally untenable and politically motivated, warning that the court should not allow itself to be used as a tool for the political persecution of a registered political party that has met all constitutional thresholds.
The timing of the deregistration threat is significant. It comes just months before the 2027 general elections and amid a broader political realignment that has seen the Accord Party emerge as a key player in the opposition space. The party has refused to join any coalition, including the Ibadan summit where 14 opposition parties agreed to field a single presidential candidate. Accord has insisted that it will field its own presidential candidate in 2027 and has already commenced preparations for primaries in several states. Its candidate for the AMAC Chairmanship in the 2026 FCT polls has been flagged as a sign of the party’s growing grassroots appeal, while Governor Adeleke’s re‑election bid has become the party’s most high‑profile test case.
Should the court rule against the party, the consequences would be seismic. Deregistration would strip Accord of its legal identity, disqualify its candidates from contesting elections, and effectively erase the political careers of Governor Adeleke and the party’s 24 assembly members, six House of Representatives lawmakers, and one Senator. The party has therefore vowed to resist the move with every legal instrument available, and it has urged the judiciary to resist political interference and uphold the constitution. As the Federal High Court prepares to hear the suit on May 5, the political temperature continues to rise. For the Accord Party, the fight is not just about its survival, it is about whether Nigeria’s political system will remain open to smaller parties that have managed, against all odds, to win elections and govern territories.
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