Victor Ezeja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally recognised the Youth Party and therefore re-entered it into its register of political parties.
INEC announced this in a statement released on Thursday, 20 July 2023 after its meeting that deliberated on among other issues, the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the deregistration of the Youth Party (YP) as a political party.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe statement signed by the Commission’s spokesperson, Festus Okoye, said the electoral body had on 16 August 2018 registered the Youth Party by virtue of the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on 16th October 2017 which mandated it to do so.
However, “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,” Okoye said.
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He added that “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.”
According to Okoye, based on the judgement of the Supreme Court, the Commission has interfaced with officials of the Youth Party on the modalities for its operations based on the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines of the Commission.
“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,” Okoye added.
