The Independent National Electoral Commission will wait for the conclusion of election petitions currently before tribunals across the country before initiating the process of de-registering political parties based on their poor performance during the last general elections, The PUNCH learnt on Sunday.
The commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye; and the Chief Press Secretary to the commission’s Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in separate interviews with our correspondent in Abuja, disclosed that the process had not started.
“The commission has yet to take a decision on that (de-registration of political parties),” Oyekanmi simply said in a short WhatsApp message sent to our correspondent who sought his view on the matter.
But Okoye gave further insight, saying the commission would wait for the conclusion of all election petitions and possible bye-elections before commencing the process of de-registering political parties. Read more