BEVERLY HILLS, June 11, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the deregistration of 32 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In her judgment, Justice Anwuli Chikere dismissed the suit filed by the parties against the powers of the Electoral Commission to deregister them.
THEWILL recalls that Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, on February 6, 2020, deregistered 74 political parties saying they failed to meet the criteria provided for by section 225A of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which include: ”Failure to win at least 25 percent of the votes cast in one state in a presidential election or 25 percent of the votes cast in one local government area, and failure to win at least one ward in a Chairmanship election, one seat in the national or state assembly election or one seat in a councilorship election”.
Aggrieved, some of the parties jointly filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/444/2019 asking the court to determine whether INEC has the constitutional power to deregister them.
The judge had earlier on February 17, issued an order restraining INEC from acting on the notice deregistering the 32 political parties, pending the determination of the suit.
But Thursday’s judgment by the court discharged the restraining order as it validated the commission’s action.
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Some of the affected 32 political parties are Advanced Congress of Democrats, Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party, All Blending Party, All Grand Alliance Party, Better Nigeria Progressive Party, Democratic People’s Congress, Freedom and Justice Party, and Green Party of Nigeria.
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