By Williams Anuku Abuja
Ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed that it will deal with only the 18 registered political parties.
The commission has therefore asked the parties deregistered in last year’s exercise to await the appeal now pending before the Supreme Court wherein INEC is challenging the decision of the Appeal nullifying its powers to deregister political parties.
Barrister Festus Okoye, INEC Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voters Education Committee made this known in a statement Friday, in Abuja.
He disclosed that a number of the deregistered political parties have been inundating the commission with notifications to conduct primaries with a view to submitting names and particulars of candidates for the Anambra State governorship election.
He maintained that INEC will deal with only the 18 registered political parties and will not supervise primaries conducted by the deregistered parties.
“This statement has become necessary against the backdrop of various letters submitted to the Commission recently by some of the deregistered political parties signifying their intention to conduct primaries with a view to submitting names and particulars of candidates for the Anambra Governorship election.
“The deregistered parties hinge their request to nominate candidates on the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on June 11, 2020.
“The Commission will continue to recognize and deal with only the 18 registered political parties pending the final resolution and determination of the various appeals filed and pending before the Supreme Court.
“Consequently, INEC will not monitor any purported primaries by any of the deregistered political parties and will not issue access code to or accept the list and particulars of candidates emanating from such primaries”.
Recall that on August 10, 2020, the Commission issued a statement affirming that the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered in favour of the 22 deregistered political parties is in conflict with the judgement delivered by the same Court in the case of the National Unity Party (NUP) vs. INEC wherein the Court affirmed the powers of the Commission to deregister NUP and other political parties.
“The National Unity Party has appealed against the said judgment to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the case is presently pending in that Court.
“The appeal, as well as the one filed by the Commission against the judgment of the Court of Appeal relating to the 22 deregistered parties, are pending in the Supreme Court.
“Considering the conflict between the two judgements, the Commission counselled that “It is in the interest of the electoral process for both matters to be consolidated. The electoral process will be better served through a final resolution of the issues in the deregistration of political parties.
” It will also enable the commission to stand on firm grounds rather than pick and choose which between two conflicting decisions it should obey,” Okoye argued.
Meanwhile, the commission has reminded the registered parties of the need to adhere to the provisions of their constitutions on internal party administration and nomination of candidates for elections.
“This has become necessary in view of the recent spate of complains regarding the dissolution of the Executives of State branches even where their tenures have not expired as well as the rash of conflicting court orders with respect to party primaries and candidature long after elections have been conducted by the Commission.
“Respect for party Constitution and due process are cardinal to electoral democracy. Political parties are hereby reminded of their obligations to internal democracy and the rule of law.
The Commission also cautioned the parties of the urgent need to strengthen the electoral process as the country prepare for 2023 using the polls in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun as a springboard
