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Why we deregistered parties Inec chairman

Honourable National Commissioners
Senior officials of the Commission
The media
Ladies and gentlemen

  1. On behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I warmly welcome you to this briefing. The purpose is to convey to Nigerians the decision of the Commission on the status of political parties. Similarly, the Commission has fixed the dates for the end-of-tenure Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States as well as bye-elections to fill vacancies in some States of the Federation.

Status of Political Parties

  1. You will recall that prior to the 2019 general election, Nigeria had 91 political parties. One more party was registered by court order after the election, making a total of 92 political parties. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) vests in INEC the power to register and regulate the activities of political parties. You will also recall that in 2018, the Constitution was amended. In addition to the extant provision for the registration of political parties, the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution (Section 225A) empowers the Commission to deregister political parties.
  2. Prior to the Fourth Alteration, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) had provided for the deregistration of political parties. Based on this provision, the Commission, between 2011 and 2013, deregistered 39 political parties. However, several of the parties challenged the power of INEC to deregister them, particularly on the ground that the Electoral Act is inferior to the Constitution and that deregistration infringed their fundamental rights under the same Constitution. Subsequently, the courts ordered the Commission to reinstate the parties. It was for this reason that the National Assembly amended the Constitution to empower the Commission to deregister political parties on the following grounds:

i. Breach of any of the requirements for registration as a political party.

ii. Failure to win at least 25% of the votes cast in one State of the Federation in a Presidential election or 25% of the votes cast in one Local Government Area of a State in a Governorship election.

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iii. 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 Councillorship election.

  1. In order to implement the provision of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution, the Commission carried out an assessment of political parties to determine compliance with the requirements for their registration. Similarly, following the conclusion of the 2019 general election, including court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations, the Commission was able to determine the performance of political parties in the elections. In addition, they were also assessed on the basis of their performance in the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which coincided with the 2019 general election. It should be noted that the FCT is the only part of the country where INEC is empowered by the Constitution to conduct Local Government elections.
  2. Consequently, the Commission has determined that sixteen (16) political parties have fulfilled the requirements for existence based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as follows:

S/No. NAME OF PARTY ACRONYM

  1. Accord Party A
  2. Action Alliance AA
  3. African Action Congress AAC
  4. African Democratic Congress ADC
  5. African Democratic Party ADP
  6. All Progressives Congress APC
  7. All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA
  8. Allied Peoples Movement APM
  9. Labour Party LP
  10. New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP
  11. National Rescue Movement NRM
  12. Peoples Democratic Party PDP
  13. Peoples Redemption Party PRP
  14. Social Democratic Party SDP
  15. Young Progressive Party YPP
  16. Zenith Labour Party ZLP
  17. Seventy-five (75) political parties did not satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution. However, one of the political parties, the Action Peoples Party (APP), filed a suit in court and obtained an order restraining the Commission from deregistering it. Consequently, the party remains registered pending the determination of the case by the court.
  18. The new political party, Boot Party (BP), registered by court order after the 2019 general election will also continue to exist.
  19. Accordingly, seventy-four (74) political parties are hereby deregistered. With this development, Nigeria now has eighteen (18) registered political parties. The list of the parties will be shared with you at this briefing and will also be available on our website and social media platforms shortly.

Edo and Ondo Governorship Elections

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  1. The tenure of the Governors of Edo and Ondo States will end on 12th November 2020 and 24th February 2021 respectively. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 178(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 25(8) of the Electoral Act 2010, elections cannot hold earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of an incumbent Governor. Accordingly, the Commission has fixed Saturday 19th September 2020 as the date for the Governorship election in Edo State and Saturday 10th October 2020 for Ondo State. Detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the two elections will be published on our website and social media platforms shortly.
  2. Similarly, the Commission is conducting bye-elections in three (3) constituencies as a result of the deaths of some serving members of the National and State Assemblies. The Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives has declared vacancy in Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency of Niger State. Similarly, the Honourable Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly has declared a vacancy in Patigi State Constituency while the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly has declared the Kebbe State Constituency vacant. These bye-elections will hold simultaneously in the three (3) States of the Federation on Saturday 14th March 2020. Again, the detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities will be published on our website and social media platforms shortly.
  3. On this note, let me reiterate the resolve the Commission to stand firm against acts capable of disrupting the elections. As we are all aware, election is a process. However, the process does not begin and end with Election Day activities. The conduct of party primaries, nomination of candidates, electioneering campaigns and the submission of the list of polling agents are also essential to the electoral process. Above all, good behaviour by all officials and actors involved is crucial for success. I wish to remind all parties and candidates that violence during party primaries and electioneering campaigns, the snatching of election materials or the deployment of thugs against INEC officials, observers, the media and unarmed security personnel at polling units are acts punishable under our electoral laws. Already, the political atmosphere in a particular State is charged. No one should regard the release of the Timetable for the elections as a signal to further escalate tension or a call to commence the recruitment of goons and arming of thugs and hoodlums.
  4. I thank you all and God bless.

LIST OF DE-REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES

S/NO. NAME OF PARTY ACRONYM

  1. ADVANCED ALLIED PARTY AAP
  2. ALL BLENDING PARTY ABP
  3. ADVANCED CONGRESS OF DEMOCRATS ACD
  4. ALLIED CONGRESS PARTY OF NIGERIA ACPN
  5. ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY AD
  6. ALL GRASSROOTS ALLIANCE AGA
  7. ALL GRAND ALLIANCE PARTY AGAP
  8. ADVANCED NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY ANDP
  9. ALLIANCE FOR NEW NIGERIA ANN
  10. ALLIANCE NATIONAL PARTY ANP
  11. ABUNDANT NIGERIA RENEWAL PARTY ANRP
  12. AFRICAN PEOPLES ALLIANCE APA
  13. ADVANCED PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE APDA
  14. ALTERNATIVE PARTY OF NIGERIA APN
  15. ALLIANCE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRATS ASD
  16. ALLIANCE FOR A UNITED NIGERIA AUN
  17. BETTER NIGERIA PROGRESSIVE PARTY BNPP
  18. CHANGE ADVOCACY PARTY CAP
  19. COALITION FOR CHANGE C4C
  20. CHANGE NIGERIA PARTY CNP
  21. CONGRESS OF PATRIOTS COP
  22. DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE DA
  23. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES CONGRESS DPC
  24. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES PARTY DPP
  25. FRESH DEMOCRATIC PARTY FRESH
  26. FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY FJP
  27. GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT PARTY OF NIGERIA GDPN
  28. GREEN PARTY OF NIGERIA GPN
  29. HOPE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HDP
  30. INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS ID
  31. JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL PARTY JMPP
  32. KOWA PARTY KP
  33. LIBERATION MOVEMENT LM
  34. LEGACY PARTY OF NIGERIA LPN
  35. MASS ACTION JOINT ALLIANCE MAJA
  36. MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY MDP
  37. MASSES MOVEMENT OF NIGERIA MMN
  38. MEGA PARTY OF NIGERIA MPN
  39. MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION AND DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY MRDD
  40. NATIONAL ACTION COUNCIL NAC
  41. NIGERIA COMMUNITY MOVEMENT PARTY NCMP
  42. NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY NCP
  43. NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PARTY NDCP
  44. NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LIBERTY PARTY NDLP
  45. NIGERIA ELEMENTS PROGRESSIVE PARTY NEPP
  46. NIGERIA FOR DEMOCRACY NFD
  47. NEW GENERATION PARTY OF NIGERIA NGP
  48. NATIONAL INTEREST PARTY NIP
  49. NIGERIA PEOPLES CONGRESS NPC
  50. NEW PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT NPM
  51. NATIONAL UNITY PARTY NUP
  52. PEOPLES COALITION PARTY PCP
  53. PEOPLES FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE PDC
  54. PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT PDM
  55. PROGRESSIVE PEOPLES ALLIANCE PPA
  56. PROVIDENCE PEOPLES CONGRESS PPC
  57. PEOPLES PARTY OF NIGERIA PPN
  58. PEOPLES PROGRESSIVE PARTY PPP
  59. PEOPLES TRUST PT
  60. REFORM AND ADVANCEMENT PARTY RAP
  61. RE-BUILD NIGERIA PARTY RBNP
  62. RESTORATION PARTY OF NIGERIA RP
  63. SAVE NIGERIA CONGRESS SNC
  64. SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL PARTY SNP
  65. SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA SPN
  66. UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY UDP
  67. UNITED PATRIOTS UP
  68. UNITED PEOPLES CONGRESS UPC
  69. UNITY PARTY OF NIGERIA UPN
  70. UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY UPP
  71. WE THE PEOPLE NIGERIA WTPN
  72. YOUNG DEMOCRATIC PARTY YDP
  73. YES ELECTORATES SOLIDARITY YES
  74. YOUTH PARTY YP

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