Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has congratulated its members that were among the 22 political parties that the Court of Appeal Abuja set aside their de-registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a judgment, yesterday.
The Appeal Court had set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja which held that INEC has the power to deregister political parties.
Justice Anwuli Chikere of a Federal High Court in Abuja had in a judgment on June 11 held that Section 225(a) of the Constitution gives INEC the powers to deregister parties that failed to comply with the provisions of the Constitution.
No fewer than 32 political parties had approached the High Court seeking order to set aside the decision of INEC to deregister 74 political parties in the country that failed to meet constitutional requirements to function as political parties.
CUPP described the judgement which nullified the de-registration of the parties as a victory for democracy and a giant step towards the consolidation of the nation’s constitutional governance.
Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation and member, Steering Committee of the CUPP, Olusegun Peters, in a statement promised that the group would continue to champion the cause of good governance, social justice and restoration of genuine democracy in Nigeria.
“It is a task that must be done in the interest of the nation. It’s obvious that INEC erred by hastily deregistering political parties in flagrant violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and the Electoral Act as amended. Nigeria is a nation governed by the rule of law, not rule of might that breeds dictatorship and autocracy.
“The judgment is sweet music in the ears of all lovers of democracy. Nigerians demand widening of the political horizon not stifling it which had resulted in do-or-die politics as being witnessed in Edo State governorship poll.”