The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the de-registration of 22 political parties carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The parties were among the 74 scrapped in 2020 by INEC, following their dismal performances in the previous elections.
Delivering judgment in an appeal instituted by INEC against the decision of the appellate court, Justice Ejembi Eko, voided and set aside the judgment that had nullified the de-registration.
Justice Eko held that the Court of Appeal had raised the issue of lack of fair hearing, in favour of the 22 scrapped parties, and arrived at a conclusion, without hearing from the other parties in the matter, as such its findings and conclusion cannot stand.
INEC had on February 6, 2020, de-registered 74 political parties, for failing to win any political office in the last general election.
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The Advanced Congress of Democrats, (ACD), and 21 other parties, sued at the Federal High Court in Abuja, to challenge their deregistration by INEC.
In a judgment on June 11, 2020, the Federal High Court dismissed the suit, because INEC was empowered to de-register parties, that failed to win elections, relying on
Section 225(a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution.
On appeal, the Court of Appeal in August 2020 said, although INEC could de-register parties, it was wrong to have deregistered ACD and 21 other parties, while their case was pending in court.
INEC appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
As it is, the deregistered parties are not going to participate in the 2023 general elections.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
