**urges NJC to sanction Judge

The member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, on Monday faulted the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the deregistration of five political parties.

The lawmaker, who is also the national leader of the Action Peoples Party (APP) described the judgement as an invitation to anarchy and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic order.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had earlier ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.

The suit was instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which sought an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the parties from its register.

Reacting to the judgement in an interview in Abuja, Ugochinyere warned that the judgment, if allowed to stand, could push the country towards a dangerous path reminiscent of periods of political instability in Nigeria and parts of Africa.

According to him, democracy cannot thrive where legitimate political parties are excluded from the electoral process through judicial pronouncements that allegedly disregard superior court decisions.

“Our nation cannot be allowed to degenerate to that level. This judgment is an invitation to anarchy. Political parties cannot simply be wiped out in a democracy because that is not what democracy represents,” he said.

The federal lawmaker maintained that APP and the affected political parties would remain validly registered entities and would participate in future elections, insisting that multiple court decisions had already settled the constitutional requirements for political parties to retain their registration.

He claimed that at least three Federal High Court judgments, a Court of Appeal decision and a Supreme Court ruling had interpreted Section 225A of the Constitution and concluded that political parties which secured electoral victories, including councillorship, chairmanship, state assembly, House of Representatives or other elective positions, could not be deregistered.

Ugochinyere accused Justice Lifu of ignoring those judicial precedents as well as submissions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said acknowledged that the affected parties had met constitutional requirements to remain registered.

He argued that INEC had informed the court that ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi State during the 2023 elections, while APP secured a local government chairmanship seat in Jigawa State.

According to him, Accord Party won a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly, while other affected parties also recorded electoral victories that satisfied constitutional thresholds.

“INEC itself told the court that these parties met the constitutional requirements. Yet the judgment proceeded regardless. That is why many Nigerians are worried about the implications for democracy and the rule of law,” he stated.

The APP leader alleged that the judge proceeded with the matter despite a Court of Appeal order staying proceedings pending the determination of an appeal challenging aspects of the case.

He claimed that lawyers were notified at short notice to appear for judgment delivery, despite the existence of the appellate court order.

Describing the development as unprecedented, Ugochinyere urged the NJC to convene an emergency meeting to investigate the circumstances surrounding the judgment and take disciplinary action if necessary.

He also called on the NBA to defend the integrity of the judiciary, warning that public confidence in the justice system could be eroded if allegations of disregard for superior court decisions were left unaddressed.

“The judiciary remains the last hope of the common man. If judgments of superior courts can be ignored, then we are endangering one of the most important institutions of our democracy,” he said.

The lawmaker maintained that neither APP nor the other affected political parties would cease political activities on account of the judgment, insisting that they would continue preparations for future elections while pursuing legal remedies.

He warned against attempts to narrow Nigeria’s democratic space ahead of the 2027 general election, arguing that citizens must be allowed a broad range of political choices.

“Let all political parties participate and let Nigerians decide who they want. Democracy is about participation and competition, not exclusion,” he said.

Ugochinyere added that Nigeria’s democratic journey had been shaped by hard-fought struggles against authoritarian tendencies and cautioned against actions capable of reviving memories of political crises that had threatened national stability in the past.

He appealed to judicial authorities, legal practitioners and democratic stakeholders to act swiftly to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and preserve public confidence in the nation’s democratic institutions.