A Non-Governmental Organization – Incorporated Trustees of Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to exercise its powers under Section 225A of the constitution to deregister Labour Party.
The plaintiff is also asking the court to declare the continuous retention of Labour Party in the register of INEC as unconstitutional and void for being in breach of Sections 223(1(a)(2)(a) and 222(a) of the 1999 Constitution.
Defendants in a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/301/2024 which was filed on March 7, include INEC, Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa as first to fourth defendants respectively.
The plaintiff is also asking the court to declare that the second defendant lacks the legal competence to sponsor candidate in any election being conducted by the first defendant under the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, as the second defendant is in utter breach of Sections 223(1(a)(2)(a) and 222(a) of the 1999 Constitution.
Other reliefs sought by the plaintiff include an order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the INEC from extending to itself, the facilities for the fielding of any candidate for any election as well as a perpetual injunction restraining the third and the fourth defendants respectively from parading themselves National Chairman of the Labour Party as none of them is a product of due compliance.
Some of the question listed for the defendants include whether the Labour Party as presently constituted can function as a political party having breached a section of the constitution, and whether by so doing, it has the legal standing to lawfully sponsor a candidate for any election and whether INEC can receive any list of candidates from the Labour Party for purposes of publication of same as nominated candidates of the party in accordance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and placing the Party’s logo on the ballot for the 2024 Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.
