A
coalition of 20 political parties deregistered by the Independent
National Election Commission, INEC, protested against their
proscription and demanded the removal of the Chairman, Prof. Attahiru
Jega.
They accused the electoral umpire’s boss of violating the provisions of the constitution.
The aggrieved parties, which addressed journalists under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Political Parties, CCPP, advised the political parties affected by INEC’s de-registration to field candidates for the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election and the senatorial election in Ekiti State. But in a swift reaction, INEC’s spokesman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, dismissed the political parties, saying they were dead and buried.
National Chairman, Peoples Progressive Party, Damian Ogbonna, who read the position of the 20 political parties yesterday in Abuja, asked INEC to declare whose interest it was protecting by deliberately flouting the ruling of the court on party deregistration.
“We state, for the avoidance of doubt, that we have lost faith in Prof. Attahiru Jega as an unbiased umpire in the political process.
“Having publicly exhibited his partiality and disdain against many political parties in the country, we believe he is no longer in a position to honourably superintend in elections where the same parties are participants. “Accordingly, we demand that Prof. Jega be dismissed immediately as the chairman of INEC,” he said.
He said that the ruling in the suit filed by Fresh Democratic Party, the court had ousted the powers of the commission to deregister parties. But Idowu said: “They are entitled to their own opinion which is difficult to engage with objectively.
“As for their contesting in subsequent elections, the recent court judgement is specific in its reliefs, that is, regarding a particular party; and that is even being appealed.”
The aggrieved parties also threatened that if the Anambra and Ekiti elections were held without them participating, the outcome would be challenged and subsequently annulled.
“If they refuse to obey the law as it is, then we will enforce it by ourselves and make sure that any election held by the commission without adhering to the latest court judgement is declared null and void.” Ogbonna added that the INEC’s action had led to the dismembering of most of the parties whose members had become frustrated and scattered.
The parties that signed the statement yesterday include the Peoples Progressive Party, the National Advance Party, the New Democrat, the Peoples Redemption Party, the People’s Salvation Party, the Action Party of Nigeria and the African Liberation Party.
Others are the Progressive Action Party, the Movement for Democracy and Justice, the National Action Council, the Better Nigeria People’s Party, the National Conscience Party, the African Political System, the Justice Party, the Change Advocacy Party, the Community Party of Nigeria and the Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria.
The PAC Chairman, Mr. Charles Nwodo, warned that having been defeated in the high court, INEC was bound by law not to exclude the parties from elections, adding that funding for the elections had never been a challenge the country could not meet.
He alleged that the commission might be harbouring a secret agenda, which only it could explain. “Are they the one funding the elections or have they been told that funds to organise the elections are no longer available? The commission must explain to Nigerians what interest it is protecting in the matter,” Nwodo added.
It will be recalled that INEC had shortly after the 2011 general elections deregistered over 30 political parties for failing to win at least a seat in either the state or federal assemblies.
The Fresh Party, founded by Pastor Chris Okotie, then challenged INEC’s decision to hammer the parties and got a reprieve by the court, which ordered that the electoral body had no right to deregister political parties.
