The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered the Youth Party (YP) as a new political party.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, said this on Thursday in Abuja in a statement.
DailyNews24 reports that this development has raised the number of registered political parties in the country to 19.
It can be recalled that INEC deregistered 74 political parties on February 6, 2020, for poor performance in the 2019 general elections and the subsequent re-run elections across the country.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said in addition to the extant provision for the registration of political parties, the Fourth Alteration to Section 225(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowers the commission to deregister political parties.
During the 2019 general elections, 91 political parties participated in the exercise, while an additional party, Boot Party, was registered based on the order of a court after the election.
Okoye, in Thursday’s statement, recalled that the Youth Party (YP) was registered on August 16, 2018 by virtue of the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on October 16, 2017.
“Following the commission’s decision to deregister some parties in accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Youth Party approached the Federal High Court and secured an Order restraining the commission from deregistering it.
“On appeal by the commission, the Court of Appeal set aside the Order of the Federal High Court, and on further appeal by the party, the Supreme Court set aside the deregistration of the party,” he said.
The statement said that based on the judgment of the Supreme Court, INEC interfaced with officials of the YP on the modalities for its operation based on the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Regulations and Guidelines of the Commission.
He said, “Consequently, the commission has recognised the Youth Party (YP) as the 19th Political Party in Nigeria with all the rights and privileges accorded political parties in Nigeria.”
Daily Trust
