IPAC: Party deregistration rulings endangering Nigeria’s multiparty democracy

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has raised deep concern over recurring court judgments ordering the deregistration of political parties, warning that they threaten Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

The National Publicity Secretary of the council, Mr Martins Egbeola, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the developments constituted a disturbing trend.

Egbeola said that unchecked judicial pronouncements could weaken the country’s multi-party political system and undermine citizens’ constitutional rights to political participation and association.

He noted that the earlier judgments directing the deregistration of five political parties, alongside the recent ruling against the National Democratic Congress (NDC), raised serious concerns about Nigeria’s democratic direction.

According to the IPAC spokesperson, regardless of legal arguments, the cumulative effect of such judgments can undermine political pluralism, shrink democratic space, and weaken constitutional guarantees protecting citizens’ political freedoms.

He said that the developments suggested a dangerous pattern aimed at eroding Nigeria’s multi-party democracy through judicial means, and cautioned against the manipulation of state institutions for political interests.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the possibility that anti-democratic forces are working behind the scenes to manipulate state institutions for narrow political interests,” Egbeola said.

Egbeola therefore urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to ensure that judges uphold judicial independence, impartiality and constitutional fidelity, preserve public confidence and ensure democratic governance in the judiciary.

“The judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and must never be perceived as a tool in the hands of politicians,” he added.

The IPAC national publicity secretary emphasised that Nigeria’s democracy thrives on accommodating diverse political ideologies, insisting that multiple political parties remain a constitutional strength rather than a democratic weakness.

“Any attempt to impose a one-party state through judicial or institutional manipulation will not succeed. Multi-party democracy has come to stay in Nigeria.

“No amount of political maneuvering or institutional manipulation can extinguish the democratic aspirations of the Nigerian people.

“Those promoting this agenda should recognise that power is transient. Every action taken today will ultimately stand as a testament either in defence of democracy or against it in the judgment of history,” he concluded