Court orders INEC to register Young Democratic Party

With about three weeks to the commencement of the 2015 general elections, a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately register the Young Democratic Party ‎as political party.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed made the order in his judgment on the suit filed by the party, challenging its denial of registration by INEC.

The judge held that YDP was deemed registered when INEC failed to inform the then political association‎ of its decision not to register it as a political party within 30 days of receiving its application, as required under Section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2010‎.

INEC was said to have received the association’s application on April 1, 2014 but only notified the applicant of its decision not to register it on September 15, 2014.