INEC Processing 101 Applications For New Political Parties – Festus Okoye

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that it is processing 101 new applications from political associations seeking registration as new political parties in the country.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, IVEC, Mr Festus Okoye, also said the commission was constitutionally bound to register qualified political associations as political parties.

Recall that INEC had deregistered 74 political parties due to their poor performance in the 2019 general elections.

More than half of the deregistered parties have been in court fighting against their deregistration

There are currently 18 registered political parties in the country.

But ahead of the 2023 election, INEC has insisted that based on extant laws, it is duty bound to accept applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.

Okoye stressed that the registration and deregistration of political parties remained a constitutional, legal and administrative matter.

“Sections 221 to 229 of the constitution lay down the threshold for the registration of political associations.

“The commission is under a constitutional and legal obligation to register political associations that meet the qualifying threshold. The commission does not exercise authoritarian discretion in the registration of political parties,” he said.

According to him, “The Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and the Regulations and Guidelines of the commission remain the guiding instruments and documents for party registration. Any political association that meets the constitutional, legal and administrative criteria set out in the constitutive legal instruments will be registered.

“Any registered political party that falls off the radar of the threshold in Section 225A of the constitution will be deregistered. The commission is a public trust and its actions and activities are governed by the constitution and the law,” he said.