By Agency Report
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed the applications filed by the 32 deregistered political parties against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Anwuli Chikere, in her judgment, held that the plaintiffs failed to prove their case.
She then held that the electoral umpire had the power to deregister them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC had, on Feb. 6, deregistered 74 political parties, leaving 18 others.
However, in a motion on notice with suit number: FHC//ABJ/ CS/444/19 between Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and 32 others Vs. Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and INEC (1st and 2nd respondents respectively) the applicants approached the court for restraining order.
Although 33 political parties filed the matter in court, two of the parties; Labour Party (LP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) were later dropped from the suit because the parties were not deregistered by INEC.
NAN also report that on June 3, the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) had prayed the court to be joined in the suit, making the total number of the deregistered parties to be 32.
It would be recalled that Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had also ruled in favour of INEC against the National Unity Party (NUP) and Hope Democratic Party (HDP).
Some of the affected 32 political parties are Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) All Blending Party (ABP) All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP) Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP) Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) among others.
(NAN)
