Paul Orude, Bauchi
As the Local Government election in Bauchi State slated for October 17, 2020 draws nearer, 22 political parties in the state are threatening legal action for not including their names and logos in the ballot papers for the forthcoming Election as bonafide parties that will participate.
The aggrieved leaders of the party at a press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat on Sunday, said the 22 affected political parties had received a court order on August 10, 2020 over the issue and submitted to the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) on their interest to participate in the forthcoming local government election in the state.
According to Ahmed Tijanni Aminu, Chairman of Young Democratic Party, YDM who spoke on behalf of other leaders of the 22 affected parties, they also informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of their interest to participate in the by-election of Dass Consistency in the State Assembly.
“Further more, BASIEC has directed us to furnish INEC and elsewhere with our request , which we compiled. Our greatest surprised neither INEC nor BASIEC is yet to respond to our Communication s, seeing that BASIEC has scheduled the local government elections in October 17,2020,” Aminu explained.
“The episode of unconditional act of unilateral de-registration of 74 political parties by INEC on February 2020 was concomitantly met with legal process . Finally, the Court of Appeal stated the position of the law which in summary asked INEC to allow these political parties the right of existence.
“From the onset, we the political parties obeyed INEC interpretation an took 22 of us proceed and took further legal steps
At the end, the Honourable Court of Appeal interpreted the legal position , but INEC is yet to comply with the said judgement . That is to say INEC is blatantly ignoring the Court of Appeal’s ordered,” he said.
‘We call on BASIEC/INEC as a product of law that prides itself in obeying court order to do the same on this situation and without further delay. Include our names and logos in the ballot papers as bonafide parties that will participate in the Local Elections coming up on October 17,2020 and the bye-election of Dass Consistency in the state Assembly.
“We honestly believe that the consequences of refusing to include our parties Names and Logos may lead to nullification of the entire process as in the case of recent judgement of Bayelsa State Governorship Election September 2020”