As the November 6, 2021 Anambra State governorship elections draws near, about 23 political parties Thursday, stormed the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja, to submit letters of notice for the conduct of the governorship primaries. Little drama however played out as the national chairmen of the political parties who came to submit their letters were not allowed into the premises of INEC by security agents. However, after some persistence put up by the party leaders, the Special Assistant to the INEC chairman, Abdulrasheed Mohammed came to address the parties officials, and asked them to delegate two people to go inside and submit their letters.
The 22 political parties which went to court to challenge their deregistration by INEC said they have a favorable declarative judgment by the Appeal Court quashing their deregistration by the Commission. The parties that submitted notice to conduct primaries 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, Green Party of Nigeria, GPN,
Others are 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.
Addressing journalists on behalf of other party leaders shortly after submission of their letters, the National Chairman of the People for Democratic Change, PDC, Mr. Benjamin Igwe described the development as victory for democracy. According to him, “We came here to submit our notice of primary election for the November 6 Anambra state governorship election and happily INEC has accepted our letters”. Igwe who displayed to journalists copies of the letters with INEC’s acknowledgement stamp said: ” The reason why they came in group to submit the notice was that in the past eight months, we have been making attempts to serve INEC letter and to participate in the Ondo and Edo state governorship elections and other bye elections but the Commission had always rebuffed us. Each time we come they say we have been deregistered.
“Meanwhile we have the Appeal Court judgement which cannot be stayed. We are happy that today, either God has touched their hearts or that they have come to the realization that you cannot just break the law because the consequences are there, they have accepted for us to participate in the Anambra state governorship election,” he said. On the implications of the submission of notices of primary election to INEC, Igwe said that it is a sign of endorsement and an acceptance of the court pronouncement that the parties have been restored to their status as registered political parties.
In his remarks, National Chairman of the Young Democratic Party (YDP), Georgina Aya Dakpokpo said her party is determined to assert it’s right as provided by the constitution with regards to participation in elections. “They deprived us of participating in the Ondo and Edo governorship elections and we just felt that enough is enough that we should participate in the Anambra state governorship. It is our right to do so as legally registered political party”. She said that based on the rulings of the court, the parties were not legally deregistered in the first place.
Vanguard News
