The Appeal Court on Monday directed INEC that it should reverse its earlier decision based on the need to prove that it complied with the procedure for the action.

The latest verdict of the court is against an earlier one which affirmed that INEC had the power to de-register political parties found wanting.

Announcing its decision to go to the Supreme Court over the latest verdict, INEC, in a statement by its spokesman, Festus Okoye, said the move was necessary because it was faced with two conflicting situations.

“The Commission is faced with two conflicting judgements from the Court of Appeal; one affirming the powers of the Commission to deregister political parties and the other setting aside the deregistration of ACD & 22 others.

“Faced with two conflicting judgements from the same Court, the Commission is not in a position to pick and choose which one of them to obey.

“Consequently, the Commission will approach the Supreme Court for a final resolution of the issues raised in the two conflicting judgements.”

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The reason he gave was that they did not meet the requirements for their registration.

Below are the political parties affected:

AAP – ADVANCED ALLIED PARTY

ABP – ALL BLENDING PARTY

ACD – ADVANCED CONGRESS OF DEMOCRATS

ACPN – ALLIED CONGRESS PARTY OF NIGERIA

AD – ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY

AGA – ALL GRASSROOTS ALLIANCE

AGAP – ALL GRAND ALLIANCE PARTY

ANDP – ADVANCED NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

ANN – ALLIANCE FOR NEW NIGERIA

ANP – ALLIANCE NATIONAL PARTY

ANRP – ABUNDANT NIGERIA RENEWAL PARTY

APA – AFRICAN PEOPLE ALLIANCE

APDA – ADVANCED PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE

APN – ALTERNATIVE PARTY OF NIGERIA

ASD – ALLIANCE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRATS

AUN – ALLIANCE FOR A UNITED NIGERIA

BNPP – BETTER NIGERIA PROGRESSIVE PARTY

CAP – CHANGE ADVOCACY PARTY

CC – COALITION FOR CHANGE

CNP – CHANGE NIGERIA PARTY

COP – CONGRESS OF PATRIOTS

DA – DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE

DPC – DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S CONGRESS

DPP – DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S PARTY

FDP – FRESH DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FJP – FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY

GDPN – GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT PARTY OF NIGERIA

GPN – GREEN PARTY OF NIGERIA

HDP – HOPE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

ID – INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

JMPP – JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL PARTY

KP – KOWA PARTY

LM – LIBERATION MOVEMENT

LPN – LEGACY PARTY OF NIGERIA

MAJA – MASS ACTION JOINT ALLIANCE

MDP – MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

MMN – MASSES MOVEMENT OF NIGERIA

MPN – MEGA PARTY OF NIGERIA

MRDD – MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION AND DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY

NAC – NATIONAL ACTION COUNCIL

NCMP – NIGERIA COMMUNITY MOVEMENT PARTY

NCP – NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY

NDCP – NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PARTY

NDLP – NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LIBERTY PARTY

NEPP – NIGERIA ELEMENTS PROGRESSIVE PARTY

NFD – NIGERIA FOR DEMOCRACY

NGP – NEW GENERATION PARTY OF NIGERIA

NIP – NATIONAL INTEREST PARTY

NPC – NIGERIA PEOPLE’S CONGRESS

NPM – NEW PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT

NUP – NATIONAL UNITY PARTY

PCP – PEOPLE’S COALITION PARTY

PDC – PEOPLE FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE

PDM – PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT

PPA – PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE

PPC – PROVIDENCE PEOPLE’S CONGRESS

PPN – PEOPLE’S PARTY OF NIGERIA

PPP – PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY

PT – PEOPLE’S TRUST

RAP – REFORM AND ADVANCEMENT PARTY

RBNP – RE-BUILD NIGERIA PARTY

RP – RESTORATION PARTY OF NIGERIA

SNC – SAVE NIGERIA CONGRESS

SNP – SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA

SPN – SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL PARTY

UDP – UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY

UP – UNITED PATRIOTS

UPC – UNITED PEOPLE’S CONGRESS

UPN – UNITY PARTY OF NIGERIA

UPP – UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY

WTPN – WE THE PEOPLE NIGERIA

YDP – YOUNG DEMOCRATIC PARTY

YES – YES ELECTORATES SOLIDARITY

YP – YOUTH PARTY

The post Behold the 74 INEC-deregistered political parties appeared first on Frontpageng.

This leaves 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.

Said he: “However, one of the political parties, the Action Peoples Party (APP) filed a suit in court and obtained an order restraining the commission from deregistering it. Consequently, the party remains registered pending the determination of the case by the court.

“The new political party, Boot Party (BP) registered by court order after the 2019 general election will also continue to exist.

“Accordingly, 74 political parties are hereby deregistered. With this development, Nigeria now has 18 registered political parties.”

16 surviving registered political parties:

1. Accord Party (A)
2. Action Alliance (AA)
3. African Action Congress (AAC)
4. African Democratic Congress (ADC)
5. African Democratic Party (ADP)
6. All Progressives Congress (APC)
7. All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
8. Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
9. Labour Party (LP)
10. New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
11. National Rescue Movement (NRM)
12. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
13. Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)
14. Social Democratic Party (SDP)
15.   Young Progressive Party (YPP)
16. Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

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He made this declaration just as he described the recent party primaries held by political parties ahead of the 2019 election as “most acrimonious” in the nation’s recent history.

Yakubu stated this on Friday at the capacity-building workshop for journalists.

The workshop was jointly organised by INEC, European Centre for Electoral Support, European Union and European Union Support for Democratic Governance.

Justifying his claim, the INEC boss said his commission had been joined in no fewer than 396 pending suits in various courts.

According to him, more of such cases were still being expected.

Those, he said, were apart from the 52 petitions and protests received by INEC from aggrieved party aspirants.

His words:  “Unfortunately, we have also witnessed some of the most acrimonious party primaries in our recent history. Internal party democracy is still a source of concern to our electoral progress. So far, the commission has been joined in 396 pending actions in various courts across the country arising from the conduct of party primaries and nomination of candidates by political parties.

“We have similarly received 302 requests for CTCs of documents, mainly our monitoring reports of party primaries and copies of personal particulars of candidates. These requests are obviously a prelude to more court actions. In addition, we have also received 52 petitions and protests from aggrieved party aspirants.

“The implication of these challenges is that as we prepare for the general elections, we are also going to grapple with pre-election litigations.”

The INEC boss also spoke on the stiff competition for the National Assembly seats.

Said he:  “For National Assembly elections, a total of 1,848 candidates (1,615 males and 233 females) are vying for 109 senatorial seats while 4,635 candidates (4,066 males and 569 females) are competing for the 360 seats in the House of Representatives.

“Similarly, the full list of candidates and their political parties will be published for public information in line with the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities.

“As for state elections, a total of 1,068 candidates (980 males and 88 females) are contesting 29 governorship positions, with 805 males and 263 female deputy governorship candidates.

“The commission is working on the list of candidates nominated by political parties for the 991 state assembly constituencies as well as the 68 area council chairmen and councillors for the Federal Capital Territory. The full details will also be published for public information in line with our timetable and schedule of activities.”

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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, made this assertion on Tuesday.

He made the assertion in a keynote address, “The Independent National Electoral Commission and The Challenges and Prospects of Leadership Recruitment for Good Governance in Nigeria’’ at the 6th Convocation Lecture of Oduduwa University (OUI) in Osun State.

“In all fairness, the commission has drastically leapt up from where it was when democratic was resurrected in 1999,” he declared.

The INEC boss also spoke on the preparedness of his commission for the 2019 election.

He said INEC was prepared to conduct an acceptable election.

“As we are approaching the general elections, the commission is more than prepared to conduct election that will be acceptable to all and sundry and the international community,” he said.

He however described vote-buying, lack of internal democracy in political parties and poor management of intra-party contests as some of the challenges facing the political system.

Yakubu identified other challenges as incendiary speech, insecurity, impunity and lack of consequences for electoral offenders.

No fewer than 200 court cases, he also disclosed, was hanging on the neck of INEC over the primaries conducted by the different political parties recently.

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