ZLP Fires Back At AGF Over Deregistration Suit, Opens Doors To 2027 Aspirants

The Zenith Labour Party has rejected moves seeking its deregistration, accusing the Attorney-General of the Federation of misleading the court over the party’s electoral performance.

National Chairman of the party, Dan Nwanyanwu, made the accusation during a press conference in Abuja alongside members of the party’s National Working Committee.

Nwanyanwu insisted that the party remains legally recognised and fully qualified to participate in future elections, urging politicians interested in contesting in 2027 to freely obtain nomination forms under the ZLP platform.

“We have no encumbrances of any type. Come and take your forms and run under Zenith Labour Party,” he declared.

The ZLP chairman said the deregistration suit was instituted by a group identified as an association of former legislators, which challenged the continued existence of some political parties for allegedly failing to secure electoral victories.

However, Nwanyanwu argued that the claim against ZLP was false and unconstitutional, alleging that the Attorney-General of the Federation wrongly informed the court that the party failed to win any election.

“The Attorney General lied on oath by saying we did not win anything,” he alleged.

According to him, the party won 15 local government chairmanship seats and 176 councillorship positions across the country, surpassing the constitutional requirement needed for a political party to retain its registration.

He displayed certificates of return allegedly issued to elected ZLP officials, insisting that the Constitution only requires a political party to win at least one councillorship seat to remain registered.

Nwanyanwu further claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission had already acknowledged in court filings that the party secured elective positions.

He alleged that the deregistration campaign was politically motivated and aimed at discouraging prospective aspirants from joining smaller opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The intention is to scare prospective contestants from coming into our party to pick forms,” he said.

The ZLP chairman also warned against attempts to weaken opposition parties, arguing that democracy would suffer if smaller political platforms were unfairly targeted.

During the briefing, Nwanyanwu revisited events surrounding the 2023 presidential election collation at the Abuja International Conference Centre, claiming his intervention helped stabilise the process that eventually produced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He also criticised recent amendments to Senate rules, describing them as unconstitutional and self-serving, while announcing plans to challenge the changes in court.

The development comes amid growing political realignments and intensified preparations by political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.