Constitutional lawyer commends Supreme Court over party deregistration

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3 years ago

Supreme Court judgment which upheld the power court judgement which deregistered 74 political parties has been hailed by a Nigerian constitutional lawyer, Ibed Agu.

The judgment has put to rest the agitation of the 74 political parties who have repeatedly demanded the right to participate in the nation’s political process.

The Supreme Court overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal and reinstated the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice Anwuri Chikere that deregistration of the political parties was valid and in tandem with the provisions of the law.

This decision followed arguments canvassed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it was not granted fair hearing by the Court of Appeal which it alleged raised issues on its own and did not give the Commission a chance to respond thereby denying it the right to fair hearing.

Agu said the judgement has officially put the political parties in Nigeria to 18 political parties.

According to him, this is the number that survived following the deregistration of the 74 parties.

The Constitutional lawyer said the issue of fair hearing was very fundamental in every matter in court and any trial that denies a party of fair hearing, was bound to be overturned on appeal.

Counsel to the political parties ought to have urged the court of Appeal to allow parties address it on the issue raised by the court on its own knowing that a judgment of the Appeal Court on that basis can be upturned at the Supreme Court was what has happened he stated.

The lawyer also commended the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu whose courageous action in line with law his sanitized the electoral space and process.

He said “With 18 parties now, Nigerians can have a wide choice to express their democratic rights yet it would not be unwieldy unlike when there were 91 political parties.

A member of the civil society, and Executive Director, Credible Election Advocates, Mr. Moses Kor, who praised the judgement said “the technological innovations the Commission has made, sends a clear signal that the 2023 general election will be credible, free and fair”