Accord has opposed a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators seeking its deregistration as a political party.
The forum had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister Accord, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements.
The former lawmakers argued that INEC has “no residual discretion to retain the registration of political parties that have clearly failed to satisfy the minimum threshold prescribed under Section 225A of the Constitution”.
Section 225 empowers INEC to deregister a political party that violates registration conditions or fails to meet the minimum electoral benchmarks, including securing at least 25 percent of votes in any state during a presidential poll.
The plaintiffs contended that “the continued existence of non-performing political parties will inflate the ballots, burden public funds, complicate election administration and undermine the constitutional intention behind Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”.
In a statement issued on Monday, Joseph Omorogbe, the party’s spokesperson, said there is no basis to “contemplate the de-registration of Accord”.
“It is evident that our great party, Accord, met this clear provision of the constitution, thus exempted and excluded from de-registration by the electoral umpire,” the statement reads.
Omorogbe said Accord currently has elected officials, including Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, one senator, six members of the house of representatives, 24 state assembly members, and two councillors in Jigawa state.
He added that Nigerians “have been trooping into Accord as the most peaceful, stable, and viable platform to rescue and salvage Nigeria from a myriad of challenges confronting the country”.
TheCable
