Court to hear suit of 31 deregistered parties against INEC May 29

Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Wednesday fixed May 29 for hearing of a substantive suit filed by 31 deregistered political parties against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The judge who listened to the parties’ argument during the proceeding, said all the processes filed would also be adopted on the adjourned date.

INEC had on February 6 deregistered 74 out of the 92 political parties in the country.

Although 33 political parties filed the matter in court, two of the parties – Labour Party (LP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) – were later dropped from the suit because they were not deregistered by the Commission.

However, in a motion on notice with suit number: FHC//ABJ/ CS/444/19 between Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and 32 others Vs. Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and INEC (1st and 2nd respondents respectively), the applicants had approached the court for a restraining order.

Justice Chikere, who restrained INEC from deregistering the parties in her ruling, on February 17, said the affected political parties had the legal right which must be protected.

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She said: “The facts sworn to in the affidavit in support of the application remained unchallenged, undisputed, and deemed to be true by the court.

“If any material fact alleged in an affidavit is not denied in a counter-affidavit, an admission of the fact is implied.”

The judge had also confirmed that there was “evidence of proof of service on the 2nd defendant and the 2nd defendant refused, neglected, failed to respond to the motion filed by the applicants.”

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