Abuja High Court Upholds INEC Guidelines for Parties
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tuesday, June 11, won a major victory as a Federal High in Abuja upheld many provisions of the guidelines set by it for political party registration.
However, the same court voided the commission’s application fee of N100, 000 from parties seeking registration with the commission.
The Court subsequently directed INEC to refund the N100, 000application fee paid by the 27 political associations seeking registration.
The 27 associations had gone to court to challenge the guidelines released by INEC for the registration of new parties arguing that the guidelines are not in consonance with the 1999 constitution.
INEC had earlier challenged the competence of the Abuja High Court in the hearing of a suit filed against the electoral body by 27 political association seeking to be registered as political parties.
The political associations are challenging some provisions of the registration guidelines issued by INEC, which according to them, are undemocratic and designed to shrink the political space.
The judge, Justice Stephen Jonah Adah was to begin hearing on the case when INEC filed a preliminary objection Monday, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.
It also served notice that it would apply for a consequential order that the plaintiffs’ prayers be struck out.
The Court, has also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop conducting any verification of claims submitted by political organizations to it seeking to be registered.
The order made by Justice S.J. Adah read in part “the respondents are to stop taking any steps complained of in this application until the hearing of the application.”
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