Twenty-two political parties on Friday stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja protest of their exclusion from the Anambra governorship election slated for November 6.
The parties, which were part of the 74 parties deregistered by INEC, said there were at the commission to submit names and particulars of candidates for the poll, insisting they must be on the ballot papers.
The parties include Peoples Coalition Party (PCP); Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA); People for Democratic Change (PDC); Young Democratic Party (YDP); Re-Build Nigeria Party (RBNP); Save Nigeria Congress (SNC); Socialist Party of Nigeria, (SPN); United Democratic Party (UDP); United Patriots (UP) and We The People of Nigeria (WTP).
Others are the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD); Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP); All Blending Party (ABP); All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP); Alliance of Social Democrats, (ASD); Change Advocacy Party (CAP); Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) and Green Party of Nigeria (GPN).
Barr. Chukwudi Ezeobika, National Chairman of United Patriots (UP) who spoke onbehalf of his colleagues said: “The decision by INEC to wrongfully exclude them Parties from the Anambra State governorship election will void the entire process and render the outcome of the Governorship election void as INEC has wilfully chosen to undermine the integrity of our Courts.
“By refusing to relist these 22 political parties to participate in the scheduled election as Ordered by the Court of Appeal in APPEAL NO. CA/ABJ/CV/507/2020, ACD & 21 ors AND Attorney General Federation & INEC and for refusing these Parties access to contest in the November 6, 2021 Governorship election, INEC has once again shown that it has no regards for the Rule of Law in Nigeria. This behavior is unacceptable as it portends a grave danger to our democracy.
“In view of the foregoing, the concerned political parties shall take all necessary legal steps to ensure that their rights, as guaranteed under the Law, are fully protected.”
