2019: 61 political parties drag INEC to court over ‘controversial’ election guidelines

Some political parties have resolved to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the draft guidelines for the 2019 general elections.

About 61 political parties that form the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) had, last week, rejected the election guidelines which is to be formally presented on Monday.

IPAC’s spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, in a statement on Sunday said a suit would be filed on Monday to coincide with INEC’s presentation of the document.

Ugochinyere, who is the National Chairman of Action Peoples Party, said the decision to drag INEC to court was taken to stop the electoral body from presenting the document which he described as “controversial.”

Read also: 2019: ‘INEC has serious credibility deficit’

He added that the suit was also meant to quash some sections of the draft guideline which he claimed are “in conflict with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.”

He claimed that some “obnoxious provisions” were inserted into the guideline which will lead to massive rigging of the 2019 elections.

“The suit, which will be filed tomorrow (Monday) at the Federal High Court by 10am, has four national chairmen of four parties suing on behalf of the rest of the 61 political parties who are against the guidelines,” Ugochinyere said.

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