Court orders INEC to register new political party

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has directed the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register
Socialist Party of Nigeria as a new party.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole gave the order in a judgement on
Tuesday, following an application by members of the party.

He said the SPN had fulfilled necessary requirements for
registration and directed INEC to issue it a certificate of
registration within 30 days from the date of his judgement.

Representatives of the SPN had approached the court after INEC
terminated its registration process in August 2014 for alleged
failure to comply with verification procedures.

The plaintiffs: Segun Sango, Chinedu Bosah, Mikaliu Mohammed,
Emmanuel Adikwu, Agbebire Marcellus and Nuhu Zira, asked the court
to nullify the termination of their registration, stressing that
they had complied with necessary registration procedure including
the payment of N1 million, establishment of a headquarter in Abuja
and the creation of a National Executive Committee comprising at
least 24 representatives from across the country and Abuja.

They asked the court to stop INEC from further collecting a
mandatory N1 million from parties seeking to be registered for
political activities.

The plaintiffs also demanded a refund of the N1 million they had
paid to INEC, as well as N1 million to serve as the cost of
instituting the suit.

The judge agreed with some of the requests made by the
plaintiff, namely that the registration of SPN as a political party
be restored by INEC.

Mr. Kolawole ruled that INEC was bound by sections 78, (2) (3)
and (4) to proceed with necessary steps for the registration of a
political party within the stipulated time, adding that the
electoral umpire had no right to carry out its constitutional
powers according to the whims and caprices of its chairman.

“INEC is not permitted to exercise its statutory powers
according to the predilection and the whims of its chairman and/or
principal management officers in the discharge of its duties of
political party registration and monitoring”.

Mr. Kolawole however refused the application by the SPN for a
refund of their registration fees. He also rejected the application
for compensation.

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has directed the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register
Socialist Party of Nigeria as a new party.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole gave the order in a judgement on
Tuesday, following an application by members of the party.

He said the SPN had fulfilled necessary requirements for
registration and directed INEC to issue it a certificate of
registration within 30 days from the date of his judgement.

Representatives of the SPN had approached the court after INEC
terminated its registration process in August 2014 for alleged
failure to comply with verification procedures.

The plaintiffs: Segun Sango, Chinedu Bosah, Mikaliu Mohammed,
Emmanuel Adikwu, Agbebire Marcellus and Nuhu Zira, asked the court
to nullify the termination of their registration, stressing that
they had complied with necessary registration procedure including
the payment of N1 million, establishment of a headquarter in Abuja
and the creation of a National Executive Committee comprising at
least 24 representatives from across the country and Abuja.

They asked the court to stop INEC from further collecting a
mandatory N1 million from parties seeking to be registered for
political activities.

The plaintiffs also demanded a refund of the N1 million they had
paid to INEC, as well as N1 million to serve as the cost of
instituting the suit.

The judge agreed with some of the requests made by the
plaintiff, namely that the registration of SPN as a political party
be restored by INEC.

Mr. Kolawole ruled that INEC was bound by sections 78, (2) (3)
and (4) to proceed with necessary steps for the registration of a
political party within the stipulated time, adding that the
electoral umpire had no right to carry out its constitutional
powers according to the whims and caprices of its chairman.

“INEC is not permitted to exercise its statutory powers
according to the predilection and the whims of its chairman and/or
principal management officers in the discharge of its duties of
political party registration and monitoring”.

Mr. Kolawole however refused the application by the SPN for a
refund of their registration fees. He also rejected the application
for compensation.