A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the deregistration of 32 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Justice Anwuli Chikere gave the verdict while ruling on the suit filed by the parties challenging their deregistration.
It would be recalled that INEC deregistered 74 political parties in the country leaving just 18, on February 6.
According to the electoral body, the parties were de-registered because they failed to meet the criteria provided for by section 225A of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
The parties, INEC said, failed to win at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in one state in a presidential election or 25 per cent of the votes cast in one local government area, as set out in section 225(a) of the Nigerian constitution.
INEC also said the parties failed to win at least one ward in a chairmanship election, one seat in the national or state assembly election or one seat in a councillorship election as required of them.
In the ruling, the judge declared that the parties failed to prove their case.
It therefore ruled that INEC’s action of de-registering the parties was in order.
Some of the 32 political parties affected are the 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.
