… State Chapter Urged To Ignore Directives By Official Of Deregistered Parties.
… Unrecognized Parties Can’t Dissolve IPAC.
By John Nwokocha
Managing Editor Abuja
As the 22 deregistered political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, battle over their relisting by the Commission, the Inter Party Advisory Council IPAC weekend expressed willingness to welcome them into its fold after INEC relist them.
The Council stated in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Hon. Agbo Major, that: Council is ready to welcome them if relisted by INEC”.
The Council says it acknowledges the inalienable right of the deregistered political parties to pursue justice through the Courts of competent jurisdiction in the land, in the same vain it acknowledges that the Council got a Court of Appeal judgment in their favour recently.
“The Council will NEVER support the abridgment of rights of anybody or entity to seek redress through the Courts of law and as a stakeholder will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court where the appeal against the Court of Appeal is pending.
“The Council is aware that the power to re-enlist deregistred political parties back as registered political parties in Nigeria rest with the lndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and their membership of IPAC, an umbrella of only registered political parties is determined strictly by their recognition and re-enlisting by INEC”. The statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Council has cautioned its state chapters to ignore directives from officials of the deregistered political parties.
“The Council urges the recently constituted Interim Management Committees across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) not to be deterred by the unfolding drama by some politicians in Abuja, and disregard any directive from them as their political parties are yet to be re-listed, recognized and restored by INEC”.
Also, the Council urged the affected political parties to sort out their differences with INEC, the sole authority that has the constitutional mandate to register and deregister political parties in Nigeria instead of causing division, confusion and upheavals with the 18 political parties that make up the current IPAC led by Dr Leonard Nzenwa.
The statement continues: “Council reiterates that unlisted, deregistered political parties, not recognized yet by INEC CANNOT dissolve an umbrella body of registered political parties and its Leadership. It is thinking the unthinkable, a joke taken too far”.
Major said the Council is aware, just as Nigerians have noted that there are only 18 political parties in Nigeria as recognized by INEC and laws of our land.
According to the publicity secretary,
the Council remains unwavering in its resolution supporting that the EDO and ONDO Gubernatorial Polls be conducted as scheduled “as a postponement will have unsavory impact on the polity”.
In view of this the Council urges INEC “not to be distracted by conduct of some politicians who are beating drums of war with their statements and behaviours and go ahead to conduct the EDO and ONDO Gubernatorial Polls as scheduled”.
It states that Council is ready, preparing and waiting to embrace the deregistered political parties back to its fold once it resolves its differences with INEC and re-enlisted back as political parties.
It says as the umbrella body of all registered political parties, IPAC believes in the rule of law, due process and sustainable democracy in Nigeria
