A federal high court sitting in Abuja has affirmed the deregistration of 32 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, dismissed the suit filed by the parties against INEC on the grounds that they failed to prove their case.

INEC chairman, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, on February 6, 2020, deregistered 74 political parties.

He said they failed to meet the criteria provided for by section 225A of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

This include: “Failure to win at least 25 percent of the votes cast in one state in a presidential election or 25 percent of the votes cast in one local government area, 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 jointly filed a suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/444/2019, asking the court to determine whether INEC has the constitutional power to deregister them.

The judge had on February 17, granted a restraining order against INEC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Giving the judgment, the court held that the commission lawfully deregistered the parties as enshrined in the provision of section 225(a) of the Nigerian constitution.

Mixed reactions had trailed the deregistration of 74 political parties by INEC on 6 February, 2020.

With the development, the country now has 18 political parties as against 91 registered parties that participated in the 2019 general elections.

Daily Trust