A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday affirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted within its power when it de-registered 74 political parties.

The ruling yet again dashed the hope of 74 political parties seeking the reversal of their deregistration by the electoral body.

In separate judgments, Hon. Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha dismissed the cases filed by  the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and Reform and Advancement Party (RAP) challenging their de-registration by INEC.

The Court was emphatic that the two parties were in breach of Section 225A of the Constitution and therefore  affirmed that INEC was not only right but has powers under the Constitution to de-register them. The Parties are among 74 non-performing parties de-registered by INEC on February 6, 2020.

It would be recalled that recently, the courts delivered a string of judgments against some of the de-registered parties challenging the action of the Commission.

Justice Anwuli Chikere of Federal High Court in Abuja on June 11, dismissed the case filed by 32 political parties, affirming INEC’s power to deregister them.

Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of Federal High Court in Abuja, on June 5, also ruled in favour of INEC in another petition filed by Hope Democratic Party, few days after the same court affirmed INEC powers to deregister parties and upheld that the deregistration of the National Unity Party was lawfully done.

The two parties, DPP and RAP, were not part of the earlier suits by some of the de-registered parties. (Daily Trust)