INEC Registers New Political Party

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Thursday that it has officially registered the Youth Party (YP), a new political party in Nigeria.

This development brings the total number of registered political parties in the country to 19.

Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee made this known in a statement released in Abuja.

Okoye in a statement released on Thursday said that the Youth Party (YP) was registered on 16th August 2018 by virtue of the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on 16th October 2017.

He said, “Following the commission’s decision to deregister some parties in accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Youth Party approached the Federal High Court and secured an Order restraining the commission from deregistering it.

“On appeal by the commission, the Court of Appeal set aside the Order of the Federal High Court and on further appeal by the party, the Supreme Court set aside the deregistration of the party.”

The statement said that based on the judgement of the Supreme Court, INEC interfaced with officials of the YP on the modalities for its operation based on the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines of the Commission.

He said, “Consequently, the commission has recognised the Youth Party (YP) as the 19th Political Party in Nigeria with all the rights and privileges accorded political parties in Nigeria.”

Recall that INEC previously deregistered 74 political parties in February 2020 due to their poor performance in the 2019 general elections and subsequent re-run elections nationwide.

INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, pointed out that in addition to existing provisions for registering political parties, the Fourth Alteration to Section 225(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) gives the commission the power to deregister political parties.

During the 2019 general elections, 91 political parties participated, while the Boot Party was registered based on a court order after the election.