The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has warned that recent decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to de-register 74 political parties would adversely effects the conduct of governorship elections in Edo, Ondo stste, as well as other states where local government elections are meant to hold soon.
IPAC in a statement signed by its National Legal Adviser, Chukwudi Ezeobika, maintained that the elections scheduled for Edo, Ondo and Enugu States will be subjects of litigation due to what he called the unlawful exclusion of necessary parties to the election.
INEC has announced that the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo dstates would be conducted on September 19 and October 10 respectively
“INEC will waste tax payers money in conducting the scheduled elections for Edo, Ondo and Enugu states as well as the remaining local government elections, if the commission fails to immediately reverse its decision and reinstate the 74 political parties unlawfully deregistered on February 6, 2020,” he said.
The council, which insisted that INECs position on de-registration violated the provisions of the Constitution, noted, “It (the de-registration) remains illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
“INEC is through this medium advised to immediately reverse its decision in order not to waste the nation’s limited resources in the scheduled elections and save itself the shame that will befall the commission if it fails to listen to the voice of reason.
“The council will take every step necessary to ensure that full effect is given to the provisions of the law as it relates to the participation of political parties in elections at the national, state, LGAs and the councillorship levels.”
