For the second time in 72 hours, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit filled by some political parties challenging the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register them.
In the Suit No. FHC/CS/127/2020 filed on February 10, 2020, five de-registered political parties, the Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC), Liberation Movement (LM), Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Nigeria Community Movement Party (NCMP) and United Peoples Congress (UPC) had urged the court to reverse the action by INEC.
In a judgement delivered on Friday July 24, 2020, the court presided by Justice Anwuli Ichegbuo Chikere, again reaffirmed that INEC legitimately acted within its powers to de-register the political parties along with 67 others. The five parties are among the 74 political parties de-registered by INEC on February 6, 2020 for breach of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This is the fifth time since June 5, 2020 that the 74 non-performing parties have failed to upturn the decision of INEC to de-register them through the courts.
Hon. Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court had dismissed two separate but similar suits filed by National Unity Party (NUP) and Hope Democratic Party (HDP).
Also, Hon. Justice Chikere had dismissed the suit filed by 33 political parties on the same ground as her latest judgement delivered on Friday.The latest judgment is coming on the heels of the dismissal of a similar suit on Wednesday July 22, 2020 by Hon. Justice Nkeonye E. Maha involving two political parties, the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) as well as Reform and Advancement Party (RAP).
