De-listing of parties will jeopardise Edo, Ondo elections -IPAC

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria on Sunday said the last Thursday’s decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to de-register 74 political parties would have adverse effects on the forthcoming elections in Edo, Ondo, Enugu and other states where local government elections are meant to hold soon.

It said the commission should quickly reverse the decision so that it does not end up wasting taxpayers money on the forthcoming elections.

The council’s position was contained in a statement signed by its National Legal Adviser,  Chukwudi Ezeobika.

Ezeobika maintained that the elections scheduled for Edo, Ondo and Enugu States will  be subjects of litigation due to what he called the unlawful exclusion of necessary parties to the election.

“INEC will waste tax payers money in conducting the scheduled elections for Edo, Ondo and Enugu states as well  as the remaining local government elections, if the commission fails to immediately reverse its decision and reinstate the 74 political parties unlawfully deregistered on February 6, 2020,” he said.

While insisting that the de-registration violated the provisions of the Constitution, he added, “It (the de-registration) remains illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

“INEC is through this medium advised to immediately reverse its decision in order not to waste the nation’s limited resources in the scheduled elections and save itself the shame that will befall the commission if it fails to listen to the voice of reason.

“The council will take every step necessary to ensure that full effect is given to the provisions of the law as it relates to the participation of political parties in elections  at the national, state, LGAs and the councillorship levels.”

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