The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has increased the number of registered political parties in the country from 18 to 19 with the recognition of Youth Party (YP) as a registered political party.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
He said the recognition of Youth Party followed the judgment of the Supreme Court which nullified the deregistration of the party.
The statement reads: “The INEC met today, Thursday, July 20, 2023, and, among other issues, deliberated on the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the deregistration of the Youth Party (YP) as a political party.
“It will be recalled that the Youth Party (YP) was registered on August 16, 2018, by virtue of the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on October 16, 2017.
“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.”