A Federal High Court presided over by Justice Anwuli Chikere has restrained Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from deregistering 31 political parties.

Justice Chikere, in her ruling in Abuja on Monday, said having failed to counter the application by the applicants, the affected political parties had the legal right which must be protected.

In an interlocutory motion between Advanced Congress of Democratic (ACD) and 2 others Vs. Attorney General of the Federation and another (INEC), the applicants had on Oct. 30, 2019, approached the court.

INEC had on the sixth of February, 2020 deregistered 74 political parties for failing to win elections