IPAC Threatens Fresh Suit Against INEC Over Moves To Stop Deregistered Political Parties To Participate In Edo, Ondo Elections
The Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria has threatened to file a fresh suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission if it fails to re-enlist deregistered political parties in the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states as ordered by the appeal court.
The electoral body had on February 6, 2020 deregistered 74 political parties on the grounds that they breached their requirements for registration because they failed to win at least 25 per cent of votes cast in one state of the federation during the presidential election.
IPAS said the parties would be left with no option than to approach the court and file a separate suit to adjudicate on the matter.
IPAC Chairman, Peter Ameh, disclosed this while speaking with our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday on the move by the electoral body to appeal the decision of the appellate court.
He said, "The next line of action is to return back to court. We have been disenfranchised as political parties. We have candidates that have indicated interest to contest elections and they have been refused entry through this dictatorial tendency and for that reason we would approach the court separately on different suit to adjudicate on the matter.
"Now that we have a superior court of law judgment that clearly stated that INEC acted in error, we should be re-enlisted. So it is the right of the members of the IPAC to participate in the election.”
Reacting to the judgment, Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation and member Steering Committee of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Rev Olusegun Peters, said that the affected political parties will participate in the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo.
In a statement, the coalition said that it was obvious that INEC erred by hastily deregistering political parties in flagrant violation of the constitution and the Electoral Act as amended.
But responding to the declaration of the parties, INEC stated that no political party will be added to the list of accredited groups acknowledged ahead of the governorship elections in both states.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said that the commission was yet to receive the enrolled court orders and do not know what is contained in the judgment.
The Court of Appeal had on Monday in its ruling nullified the deregistration of 22 political parties by the INEC and declared it illegal.
The court therefore ordered INEC to reenlist the political parties for elections in the country.
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