A group of former federal lawmakers has strongly denied initiating a lawsuit aimed at deregistering the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The suit, filed in an Abuja federal high court, alleges that the ADC failed to meet minimum constitutional requirements for political parties.

The lawsuit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025, was reportedly filed by Raphael Igbokwe, who claims to be the national coordinator of a forum of ex-legislators. In an affidavit, Igbokwe asserted that the ADC did not secure 25 percent of votes in any state during the last presidential election. He also noted the party won no seats in the August 2025 bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The suit urges the court to declare that the ADC has failed to meet constitutional and Electoral Act requirements. It seeks the party’s deregistration based on these alleged failures.

Ex-Lawmakers Condemn The Lawsuit

However, the former lawmakers have explicitly dissociated themselves from this legal action. They described the suit as “absurd and insulting,” especially coming from a “handful of individuals.” Many of these individuals, they noted, are “late arrivals to the legislature.” The lawmakers stated these persons cannot arrogate to themselves the right to speak for such a large and diverse body.

In a detailed rejoinder, the undersigned former members of the National Assembly condemned the attempt. They called it an effort “to use the name and reputation of former legislators to pursue a self-serving political agenda.” They confirmed they neither authorized nor supported this move.

Claims of Misrepresentation and Imposture

Since 1999, Nigeria’s National Assembly has produced over 5,000 former Senators and Honourable Members. This body cuts across various political affiliations and geopolitical zones. The ex-lawmakers emphasized that parliament operates on seniority, hierarchy, and established tradition. They asserted that this culture respects experience, ranking, and long years of national service. These conventions, they argue, “cannot be undermined by persons with no mandate, no legitimacy, and no historical grounding.”

They further labeled the suggestion that a few self-appointed individuals represent thousands of former lawmakers as “fraudulent, provocative, and unacceptable.”

The statement specifically named Hon. Nnanna Igbokwe, who presented himself as the “National Coordinator” of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL). They described him as an “impostor.” His claims, they said, lack foundation in legislative convention or collective decision-making. His so-called “Exco” was branded as “nothing more than a hand-assembled clique.” This group, they allege, attempts to exploit the name of ex-legislators for “purposes that are neither transparent nor noble.”

“We state clearly: they do NOT represent former legislators of Nigeria,” the statement firmly concluded.

Allegations of Political Manipulation

The former lawmakers clarified that “no partisan, bipartisan, zonal, or national coalition” of ex-legislators approved or sanctioned this legal action. They called the lawsuit a “personal and clandestine initiative.” They believe it is “falsely presented as the voice of a nationwide community” to mislead both the court and the public.

They also highlighted the “suspicious timing, speed, and secrecy” of the lawsuit. This, they suggested, reveals it as a “special-purpose vehicle (SPV).” They further alleged that the move “enjoys quiet encouragement from certain influential political actors.” This includes elements within the leadership of the House of Representatives and some top government officials in Abuja. They believe this is “part of a broader anti-democratic attempt to weaken Nigeria’s political space.” The ultimate aim, they warned, is to “nudge the nation toward a de facto one-party state.”

The group vowed to resist this agenda with “every legitimate democratic tool available.” They see the use of respected ex-lawmakers as a vehicle for manipulation as a “direct assault on the dignity, seniority, and tradition of our community.”

“Former legislators are custodians of legislative knowledge, institutional memory, and national experience—not political foot soldiers,” they asserted. They insisted that “no junior or late-entry legislator has any right to speak over the heads of thousands of their seniors.”

Call to the Judiciary

The former lawmakers called upon the judiciary to “recognize the gross misrepresentation at the heart of this matter.” They urged the court to “strike out the suit without delay.” They described the suit as “frivolous, malicious, procedurally defective, and a waste of valuable judicial time.”

Their position remains clear: Nigeria should be a nation “where elections — not courts or contrived litigation — determine political survival.”