BY Okey Ndiribe
ABUJA—The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday deregistered seven political parties in the country. This was disclosed at a press briefing addressed by the Chairman of the Commission Prof. Attahiru Jega in Abuja.

The political parties deregistered include, Democratic Alternative, DA, National Action Council, NAC, National Democratic Liberty Party, NDLP, and Masses Movement of Nigeria, MMN.

Ohers are Nigeria Peoples Congress, NPC, Nigeria Elements Progressive Party, NEPP, and National Unity Party, NUP.

The INEC boss stated that it took its action based the powers conferred on it by the provisions of Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

Jega said: “ The above political parties have been notified and are by law precluded from engaging in any electoral activities including but not limited to canvassing for seats in any electoral process. Consequently, the Certificates of Registration earlier issued to them are hereby withdrawn.”

The affected political parties were deregistered because of their weak performance during the last general elections. INEC had warned that it would deregister parties which could not win even one parliamentary seat anywhere in the country during the last general elections.

It will be recalled that even though 63 political parties were registered before the last general elections, only few of them won seats into the various legislative houses in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. For instance, only 20 of the parties presented candidates for the Presidential elections. However, few days before the election many of the smaller parties which presented presidential candidates earlier withdrew from the race and adopted the PDP presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan.

Even many of the parties presented candidates for the gubernatorial and house of assembly elections, only PDP, ACN, ANPP, APGA and Labour Party won most of the gubernatorial and legislative seats across the country.