- Deregisters 75 political parties
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the dates for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed the dates of the two elections at the INEC headquarters on Thursday.
Yakubu said the Edo governorship election will hold on September 19, while that of Ondo State will be conducted on October 10.
The INEC chairman also urged governorship candidates to desist from electoral violence.
“I wish to remind all parties and candidates that violence during party primaries and election campaigns, and the snatching of electoral materials and deployment of thugs against INEC officials, observers, the media and security personnel at polling units are punishable under our electoral rules,” he said.
In a related development, the INEC also on Thursday, announced the de-registration of political Parties.
At a press conference on Thursday, the Commission said the 75 political parties did not satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution.
However, one of the political parties – the APP – filed a suit in court and obtained an order restraining the Commission from deregistering it.
The Commission stated that the deregistered political parties could not win at least twenty five percent (25%) of votes cast in each of the states of the Federation, and could not win twenty five (25%) percent in one local government in a state or one seat in a State or National Assembly.