Court Stops INEC From Deregistering 31 Political Parties

INEC boss Mahmood Yakubu

The Federal High Court, Abuja has restrained Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from deregistering 31 political parties.

The presiding judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere, in her ruling, said having failed to counter the application by the applicants, the affected political parties had the legal right which must be protected.

In an interlocutory motion with suit number: FHC//ABJ/ CS/444/19 between Advanced Congress of Democratic (ACD) and 2 others Vs. Attorney General of the Federation and another (INEC), the applicants had on Oct. 30, 2020, approached the court.

INEC had, on Feb. 6, deregistered 74 political parties.

Concise News understands that a review of the political parties was carried out after the 2020 general election to see parties that qualify to exist and this led to the disqualification of 74 parties.

Chairman of the electoral commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said the parties were deregistered because of their failure to meet various criteria stipulated by the constitution during the elections.