ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
No fewer than 22 political parties have threatened legal action if the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) fails to include their names and logos on the ballot papers for the forthcoming local government council elections holding on October 17, 2020.
They also want the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to re-register them so that they can participate in future elections in the country.
The parties were deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission for ‘lack of national spread and non performance’ but the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, ordered the electoral body to be re-registered.
The parties who made their position known at a press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi, stated that following the Appeallate Court’s judgment, INEC was supposed to have recognized and include their names and logos on the ballot papers without hesitation.
Chairmen of YPP, Ahmed Aminu, who spoke on behalf of the political parties said that: “Political parties are mechanisms that ensure the attainment of fundamental rights of all Nigerians who share similar, aims/ opinions, and ideology.
“More often than not, the growing political parties in Nigeria tend to suffer most, from the might of the giant ruling party”.
“After we received the Court of Appeal’s order on the 10″ of August 2020, we, the 27 affected Political Parties in Nigeria, Bauchi state Chapters, approached the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIC) and formally submitted the Court Order to its attention and expressed our interest to participate in the forthcoming Bauchi State Local Government Election for the Chairmen and Councilorship seats as well as by-election of Dass House of Assembly, all relevant documents were duly forwarded and acknowledged by it,” he said.
Aminu added that: “Furthermore, the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) directed us to furnish the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and elsewhere with our request, which we complied.
“But to our greatest surprise, neither INEC no BASIEC is yet to respond to our communications, seeing that BASIEC has scheduled the local government elections on October 17th, 2020.”
According to him, “we the political parties, like all other legitimate institutions, are all products of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; we are bounded by the law, we are guided by the judicial institutions, via courts judgments.
“We are expected to, at all times, rigorously respect and obey court decisions, even in the events whereby, the ruling goes against our wishes and expectations”.
Aminu said that the episode of unconstitutional act of unilateral deregistration of 74 Political Parties by INEC in February 2020, was concomitantly met with legal process which the Court of Appeal finally stated the position of the law which in summary, asked INEC to allow these political parties the right of existence.
“From the onset, we political parties, obeyed INEC’s interpretations and the 22 of us proceeded and took further legal steps.
“At the end, the Honorable Court of Appeal interpreted the legal position and INEC is yet to comply with the said judgment. That is to say, INEC is blatantly and reluctantly, ignoring the Court of Appeal’s Order”.
“After several appeals and struggles, all we are saying is, we are requesting them to include our parties logos and accept our candidates in the local government election processes soon coming up.
“Yet, all efforts to consider our legitimate co-operate entities institutions proved abortive”, he lamented.
The YPP Chairman added that, “We will be right to say that this government of Bauchi State is a beneficiary of the judgment of the Courts not long ago. We therefore, as Nigerians and legitimate institutions, expect it to respect in similar circumstance, and any judgment/ruling that comes from the Honorable Court”.
“We applaud the government of Bauchi State for its intention to bring masses at the grassroots level closer to the government, but the process must be free and fair so as not to disenfranchise others deliberately. We would further suggest to the State Independent Electoral body and INEC to obey in absolute terms, the said judgment of the Court of Appeal and avoid being in contempt of court order.”
He said that time is fast running out on BASIEC and INEC, the end result would lead to court actions adding that the consequences of refusing to include their party’s names and logos may lead to nullification of the entire process as in the case of recent judgment of Bayelsa State governorship election in September 2020.
Aminu also said that it is condemnable to allow the billions of Naira of taxpayers’ monies to be wasted in the event that could have being avoided.
He warned that, “It is also disturbing to any right thinking person to see and allow any process that could lead to hinder the local government elections while BASIEC and INEC remain adamant.”
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