TEXT OF MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU, ON THE STATUS OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND CONDUCT OF...
TEXT OF MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU, ON THE STATUS OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND CONDUCT OF SOME OFF-SEASON AND BYE-ELECTIONS HELD AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM, INEC HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA, ON THURSDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2020

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
2.    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.

3.    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:

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

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.

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.

4.    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.

5.    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

6.    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.

7.    The new political party, Boot Party (BP), registered by court order after the 2019 general election will also continue to exist.

8.    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
9.    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.

10.    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.

11.    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.

12.    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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