By SINL Reporter
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lawfully de-registered the National Unity Party (NUP) as a political party in Nigeria.
According to The NATION reports, Justice Taiwo Taiwo found that INEC validly exercised its powers in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), when it terminated NUP’s political party status.
He held that the party provided no evidence that it met the criteria for it not to be de-registered.
The judge made the pronouncement on Friday in NUP’s suit filed on February 24, 2020 via a February 21 originating summons.
The suit sought four reliefs, including an order nullifying its or any other party’s de-registration by INEC “until election is fully conducted in the 774 local government councils and the 36 states of the Federation.”
The other reliefs included: a declaration that INEC has no power under section 225A of the Constitution “to de-register the Plaintiff as a political party or any other political party for failure to win any of the offices mentioned therein or score certain percent of votes mention therein without the completion of election in the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria and all the states of the federation.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC “from de-registering, sanctioning or taking any other administrative decision” against the NUP as a duly registered political party in Nigeria.
In support of the application, the party filed an 18-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Abigail Audu on January 21, 2020.
Mr. C.K. Eburuo appeared for the plaintiff, while Mr. Emeka Obegolu represented INEC.
Dismissing the plaintiff’s case, Justice Taiwo held, among others, that the Plaintiff failed to prove its case.
