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By Lukman Olabiyi
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has cautioned against any attempt to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition political parties, warning that such a move could spark a national crisis and undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
Frank’s warning followed a judgment delivered on Monday by a Federal High Court in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties over their alleged failure to meet constitutional electoral performance requirements in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections.
The affected parties include the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the ADC.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Frank described the reported move to deregister opposition parties as a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic system, alleging that it was part of a broader effort to weaken opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He claimed that the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, had earlier directed Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court to stay further proceedings in the matter pending the hearing of an appeal scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Questioning the circumstances surrounding the judgment, Frank alleged that neither the affected parties nor their legal representatives had been informed before the ruling was delivered.
“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 alleged.
He further described the ruling as a “mystery judgment”, claiming that external interests may have influenced its outcome.
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Frank warned that any attempt to deregister opposition parties, particularly the ADC, could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s political stability.
“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 said.
According to him, the issue extends beyond any particular political party and touches on the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freely associate and participate in the democratic process.
Frank also alleged that opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party and ADC, have faced sustained efforts aimed at weakening their structures, while raising concerns about the independence of the judiciary.
“There are increasing concerns among Nigerians about the role of some judges and whether they are acting independently or under the influence of government officials. These concerns cannot be ignored,” he said.
The former APC spokesman maintained that the ADC has emerged as a platform with growing national appeal and warned against actions that could shrink Nigeria’s democratic space.
He said attempts to undermine viable opposition platforms would ultimately fail, stressing that any move towards a one-party state could trigger unrest and pose serious threats to national unity and democratic governance.
“Nigeria is a country of over 200 million people. Any desperate attempt to turn the country into a one-party state could trigger unrest and a crisis that nobody can control. The consequences for national unity and democratic governance would be severe,” Frank stated.
