…Says Legal Tussle against Political Parties Waste of Scarce Resources

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has reacted to the legal battle between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some deregistered political parties, urging INEC to stop wasting public funds in fruitless legal adventure.

The umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in Nigeria in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu at the weekend noted that “for INEC to continue in fruitless legal voyage by appealing the judgment of the Court of Appeal, even when the Supreme Court had in its verdict on the same subject matter brought before it by Chief Gani Fawehinmi, CNPP National Chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and others, declared that INEC has no powers to deregister political parties.”

According to the statement emailed to The Street Reporters Newspaper, “Despite other judgments of the courts in line with the Supreme Court verdict in recent times, INEC has signified its intention to challenge before the Supreme Court the judgment of the Court of Appeal ordering it to re-list political parties it deregistered for allegedly falling short of registration regulations.

“This was after the Commission failed to have its way in at the Court of Appeal.

“Recall that INEC has continued to lose legal bid to deregister political parties, which all ended in wanton waste of limited national resources in the face of increasing hardship and economic deprivation nationwide.

“Even when the court delivers judgment against it action, the Commission has its own crooked manner of interpreting the judgment of the court as on many occasions, INEC was seen carrying out selective execution of court judgments.

“We call on the Commission to conserve scarce resources as it clearly lack powers it is exercising”, the CNPP stated.