A federal high court sitting in Abuja has affirmed the deregistration of 32 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Judge, Anwuli Chikere on Thursday, dismissed the suit filed by the parties against INEC on the grounds that they failed to prove their case.
Giving the judgment, Chikere held that the commission lawfully deregistered the parties as enshrined in the provision of section 225(a) of the Nigerian constitution
Recall that INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu on February 6, 2020, deregistered 74 political parties.
According to the INEC Chair, the 74 political parties failed to meet the criteria provided for by section 225A of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The amended 1919 constitution states: ”Failure 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.
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”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”.
Some of the aggrieved parties had therefore jointly filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/444/2019 asking the court to determine whether INEC has the constitutional power to deregister them.
