The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deregistered 74 political parties on Wednesday, February 6, 2020.
The news came as a surprise to most Nigerians.
According to the electoral umpire, the move is in line with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which empowers INEC to de-register political parties based on the following reasons:
1. failure to win at least 25 per cent of votes cast in;
a) one state of the federation in a presidential election
b) one local government area if a state in a governorship election
2) failure to win at least;
a) one ward in a chairmanship election
b) one seat in the national or state houses of assembly election
c) one seat in councillorship election
With the deregistration, Nigeria now has a total of eighteen political parties.
They include: Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Others are; Action People’s Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), Kabour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
While the Boot Party was registered by an order of court in August 2019, the Action Peoples Congress was retained by another court order.
![2023: Peter Obi, running mate, Datti meet controversial cleric, Gumi [PHOTOS]](/storage/2022/10/2023-Peter-Obi-running-mate-Datti-meet-controversial-cleric-Gumi-390x220.jpeg)