Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has strongly criticised a Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and other political parties, describing it as a “mystery judgment” that could plunge Nigeria into a major national crisis.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 16, 2026, Frank warned that the ruling by Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja represents a deliberate attempt to eliminate key opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 general elections. He argued that such moves undermine Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and risk triggering widespread instability.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties, preventing them from participating in the 2027 polls. The decision has sparked significant concern among political stakeholders and the public. ADC has already announced plans to appeal the judgment.
Frank alleged that the judgment was delivered without prior notice to the parties involved or their lawyers, claiming it appeared to have been prepared in advance elsewhere and merely read out in court.“The judgment came suddenly without prior notice to the parties involved. From the information available to us, it appeared that the judgment had been prepared elsewhere and simply delivered by the court,” he said. “Nobody knew about it. There was no information and no briefing, even to the lawyers representing the parties. It was something they plotted and cooked up...”
He further described the ruling as a “mystery judgment” orchestrated to achieve a predetermined political outcome, alleging that the Office of the Attorney General may have scripted it for the judge to deliver.
Frank urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to abandon any efforts to deregister major opposition parties like the ADC, warning that such actions could lead to a crisis that would be difficult to contain.
“It must be noted that any attempt by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and those working with him to deregister political parties, particularly major opposition parties such as the ADC, will give rise to a crisis that may be difficult to contain,” he stated.
In a notable appeal to the international community, Frank called on U.S. President Donald Trump and other global actors to intervene urgently to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic process and prevent the erosion of multiparty politics.
He concluded by urging all democracy advocates to speak out against the development, saying silence could have severe long-term consequences for the country.
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