The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from deregistering 31 political parties.
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.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, 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 October 30, 2019, approached the court.
Recall that INEC had, on February 6, deregistered 74 political parties
The action left the country with only 18 registered parties.
The deregistration was announced on Thursday by the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a press conference in Abuja.
The reasons for the deregistration, Yakubu said, bordered on the failure of the affected parties to meet the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), INEC had the power to register and regulate activities of political parties.
He explained that in addition to the extant provision for the registration of political parties, the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution (Section 225A) empowered INEC to deregister political parties.
The INEC boss said following the need to implement the provision of the fourth alteration to the constitution, the commission assessed the level of compliance of the parties with requirements for registration, and found some wanting.
He added: “Similarly, following the conclusion of the 2019 general election, including court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations, the commission was able to determine the performance of political parties in the elections.
“In addition, they were also assessed on the basis of their performance in the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which coincided with the 2019 general election.
“It should be noted that the FCT is the only part of the country where INEC is empowered by the constitution to conduct Local Government elections.’’
Yakubu explained, however, that until the court decides a suit filed by the Action Peoples Party, APP, against its possible deregistration, it would remain.
He said Boot Party (BP), which was registered after the 2019 general election on the order of the court, would also remain.
