The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deregistered 74 political parties, meaning that they would not be participating in subsequent elections in the country.

INEC chairman, Yakubu Mommudu, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday at the Commission headquarters, said the action was in preparation for the coming 2023 general elections.

The INEC chairman further said the deregistration followed the poor performance of the parties in the 2019 general elections and court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations.

According to him, the 74 political parties did not satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitutional Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

It noted that the Actions People’s Party (APP) had filed a suit and obtained a court order restraining INEC from deregistering it.

He also explained that the commission carried out an assessment of political parties to determine their compliance with the requirements for registration.

“The commission was able to determine the performance of political parties in the elections. In addition, they were also assessed on the basis of their performance in the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which coincided with the 2019 general election. It should be noted that the FCT is the only part of the country where INEC is empowered by the Constitution to conduct Local Government elections.

“The Commission has determined that eighteen (18) political parties have fulfilled the requirements for an existence based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as follows:

The existing political parties now are: Accord, (A); Action Alliance, (AA); African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Democratic Party (ADP) and All Progressive Congress (APC),

There are also All Progressive Grand Alliance (APG); Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Labour Party (LP), National Rescue Movement (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM),

The others are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Boot Party.