IPAC, Others Hail S/Court Judgment Upholding Deregistration Of 74 Political Parties By INEC

Inter Party Advisory Council has commended Supreme Court over its judgment upholding the deregistration of 74 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Recall that INEC had deregistered 74 out of Nigeria’s 92 political parties for their poor performance in the 2019 general elections.

The existing political parties after the deregistration were: Accord, (A); Action Alliance, (AA); African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Democratic Party (ADP) and All Progressive Congress (APC),

There are also All Progressive Grand Alliance (APG); Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Labour Party (LP), National Rescue Movement (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM),

The others are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Boot Party.

Speaking on the judgment, the President of IPAC, Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, said the judgment had ended all speculations, adding that it will aid INEC to now focus on critical issues in preparation for delivering credible, free and fair 2023 general election.

According to the judgment by the Supreme Court, the deregistration of the National Unity Party (NUP) one of the 74 parties, was done in line with the laws and compliance with the extant provisions of the Constitution and Electoral Act.

The apex Court in a virtual judgment delivered by justice Mary Odili on Friday, has also sealed the fate of the remaining 73 parties, many of whom have their appeals still pending in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

Also speaking, Election Observer groups, several Civil Society Organizations and the Council of Nigerian Ethnic Youth Leaders were unanimous in their applause for the Supreme Court saying, the judgment has sanitized the electoral space and that the judgment is a victory for democracy and an end to one man political parties.

They also called on the National Assembly to quickly amend the Constitution and Electoral Act to stop further registration of more political parties saying, the 18 remaining parties should be enough to satisfy all political tendencies in the country.

The NUP had challenged their deregistration by INEC at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal where they lost in both Courts.

The Supreme Court has now affirmed the concurrent finding of the lower courts, and upheld not only the powers of INEC to deregister political parties but also that the process and procedure for the deregistration of the 74 political parties was in compliance with extant laws.