The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is constitutionally bound to register qualified political associations as political parties.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC) Festus Okoye said this in an interview.

This is as he also said 101 political associations have applied to the commission to be registered as political parties ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The development is coming less than two years after INEC deregistered 74 political parties due to their poor performance in the 2019 general elections.

Okoye, however, said the registration and deregistration of political parties is a constitutional, legal and administrative matter.

“Sections 221 to 229 of the constitution lay down the threshold for the registration of political associations. The commission is under a constitutional and legal obligation to register political associations that meet the qualifying threshold. The commission does not exercise authoritarian discretion in the registration of political parties.

“The Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and the Regulations and Guidelines of the commission remain the guiding instruments and documents for party registration. Any political association that meets the constitutional, legal and administrative criteria set out in the constitutive legal instruments will be registered.

“Any registered political party that falls off the radar of the threshold in Section 225A of the constitution will be deregistered. The commission is a public trust and its actions and activities are governed by the constitution and the law,” he said.

When asked of the number of applications received, the INEC top official said the commission is presently processing 101 applications from political associations seeking registration as political parties.

(Daily Trust)

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