INEC to approach Supreme Court over conflicting judgements on deregistered political parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would challenge the Appeal court judgment on the deregistered ACD and 22 political parties.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, made the clarification, stated that the Court of Appeal held that the deregistration of ACD and 22 others was ultra vires the powers of the Commission and ordered the Commission to reinstate them.

Okoye recalled that on July 29 the Court Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division in an appeal filed by the National Unity Party (NUP) had affirmed the power of INEC to deregister political parties that failed to meet the constitutional threshold in section 225A.

“The Commission is therefore faced with two conflicting judgements from the Court of Appeal; one affirming the powers of the Commission to deregister political parties and the other setting aside the deregistration of ACD & 22 others.

The Commission, he said is faced with two conflicting judgements from the same Court, is therefore not in a position to pick and choose which one of them to obey.

Accordingly, the Commission, he added will approach the Supreme Court for a final resolution of the issues raised in the two conflicting judgements.