CUPP urges INEC to reinstate deregistered political parties

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate all the deregistered political parties in the country in compliance with the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The coalition made the call in a statement issued by its, chairman, Media Committee, Mr Chukwudi Ezeobika, in Abuja.

Ezeobika said that the commission should proceed to reinstate the relisted political parties as ordered by the Court of Appeal.

He said that being a declaratory judgement, INEC could not seek and or obtain a stay of execution on it.

Ezeobika said that being a law abiding institution, the members of CUPP believed that INEC would do what was expected of the commission which was to, immediately, relist all the political parties.

He drew INEC’s attention to observation by the Court of Appeal judges that INEC disregarded and did not follow the due process of law and the court, when it proceeded to deregister the appellants as political parties during the pendency of the suit, seeking to stop their deregistration.

It added that this was done by INEC even “after the trial court had adjourned for ruling on the motion on notice applying for an order of injunction restraining their deregistration.

“The Coalition further notes the distinctions made between National Unity Party (NUP) and INEC wherein their lordships stated that NUP only approached the Federal High Court after it was deregistered, unlike the 22 parties, which went to court before INEC deregistered them.

“It is noteworthy for the coalition to reemphasise that their lordships while upholding the case of the parties went ahead to hold that the circumstances in the July 29 judgement where another panel of the court affirmed the deregistration of NUP were different from the instant case.

“In view of the foregoing, we call on the INEC and its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to obey and comply with the court judgement to enable the relisted political parties to assume their collective responsibilities and duties to the Nigerian people.

“INEC had stated that it would be approaching the Supreme Court over conflicting judgements by Court of Appeal on the deregistration of political parties”.