By Stella Odueme
The National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, on Thursday, accused the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of allegedly presenting misleading claims before a Federal High Court in an ongoing suit seeking the deregistration of the party.
Addressing journalists at a press conference alongside members of the party’s National Working Committee in Abuja, Nwanyanwu maintained that the ZLP remains a legally recognised political party, insisting that it has fulfilled all constitutional requirements for continued registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He explained that the suit challenging the party’s status was instituted by what he described as “an association of former legislators,” who allegedly argued that the ZLP failed to secure electoral victories and should therefore be deregistered.
According to him, the party initially refrained from commenting publicly on the matter because the case is still pending before the court. However, he said the decision to address the media became necessary after the office of the Attorney General allegedly filed and circulated court processes claiming that the party did not win any election.
Nwuanyanwu described the allegation as “false and misleading,” arguing that it was capable of discouraging intending aspirants from joining the party ahead of future elections.
He stated that under the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, a political party only needs to win at least one councillorship seat to retain its legal status as a registered political party.
“To say that Zenith Labour Party did not win any election is not true. We won councillorship seats and local government positions, and we have already tendered certificates of return before the court,” he said.
The ZLP chairman further claimed that INEC, in its response before the court, contradicted the allegations against the party by confirming that the party won elective positions in previous elections.
He accused the office of the Attorney General of failing to conduct proper due diligence before making submissions in court and warned against what he described as attempts to intimidate or weaken opposition political parties through legal processes.
Nwuanyanwu urged Nigerians interested in contesting future elections to freely join the ZLP and obtain nomination forms, insisting that the party remains stable, peaceful and fully recognised under the law.
Speaking further on the broader political climate, the elder statesman dismissed claims questioning the status and eligibility of political parties ahead of forthcoming elections, insisting that the electoral process remains inconclusive until the substitution window closes and final ballot arrangements are confirmed.
“It is premature for anyone to make categorical claims about which parties will eventually appear on the ballot because the process is still ongoing,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as efforts by certain public officials to undermine opposition parties through legal and political manoeuvres, insisting that allegations suggesting that opposition parties failed to meet constitutional thresholds were unfounded.
Nwuanyanwu stressed that public institutions must operate strictly on the basis of facts, evidence and the rule of law rather than political considerations.
He further alleged that there were deliberate attempts to weaken alternative political platforms, including parties associated with opposition coalitions, warning that such actions could threaten democratic principles and political pluralism in the country.
The ZLP chairman concluded by expressing concern over what he termed misinformation and politically motivated narratives surrounding opposition parties and the ongoing electoral process.
