BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by 32 of the 74 political parties de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on February 6, 2020.
Among the 32 political parties, represented as plaintiffs in the suit are: Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD); Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP); All Blending Party (ABP); and All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP).
Others include: Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP); Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC); Freedom and Justice Party (FJP); and Green Party of Nigeria (GPN).
Ruling on the suit brought by the parties before it on Thursday, June 11, 2020, the Court said the plaintiffs could not prove their accusations that INEC acted unlawfully and in bad faith by deregistering them.
According to Justice Anwuli Chikere, INEC is empowered by law to deregister any political party that fails to meet the requirements under Section 225(a), (b) & (6) of the Constitution as contained in the 4th Alteration to the Constitution, which came into effect in June 2018.
Justice Chikere said though the plaintiffs have contested elections since the constitutional provision took effect, they not only failed to state the seats they have won; but also could not present certificates of return that they were issued by the 2nd respondent (INEC).
In vacating an interim restraining order earlier granted against the respondents, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and INEC, Justice Chikere also said; “They failed to provide sufficient evidence to enable the court exercise its discretion in their favour.”
Recalled that the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and 32 other political parties had filed the suit, marked: FHC//ABJ/ CS/444/19, challenging their de-registration by the electoral umpire.
However, two of the 33 parties, Labour Party (LP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), later excused themselves from the case after discovering that they were not among those that INEC deregistered.
Again, on June 3, 2020 this year, another party, Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) had its joiner application granted by the court, thereby taking the number of plaintiffs up to 32 parties
