Federal court orders electoral body to register Socialist Party of Nigeria within 30 days
By Staff Reporter
A Federal high court in Abuja has given a decisive ruling on a three-year long case after it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the Socialist Party of Nigeria within 30 days.
Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) national secretary Chinedu Bosah stated in a press release today that the court victory is for the long suffering working masses who been yearning for a viable and genuine political alternative to all the anti-poor political parties.
“We of the SPN welcome the judgment, which has reaffirmed our democratic right to a freedom of association as a political party that will participate in the electoral process with a socialist programme. We immediately call on the INEC to immediately obey the judgment and issue us the certificate of registration,” Bosah stated about the landmark ruling made by Justice Gabriel Kolawole. “The SPN has been in court since September 10, 2014 challenging the INEC over its undemocratic decision not to register the party despite having fulfilled all constitutional and legal requirements including the payment of INEC-imposed One Million Naira administrative fee.”
The SPN further stated that while they welcomed the judgement, it was a sad commentary on the judicial system that a seemingly straight forward case lasted over three years.
“This is due to the systemic problem in the nation judiciary apart from the orchestrated delay tactics by the INEC,” Bosah stated in part. “We call on workers, youths, artisans, traders, farmers and the poor masses in general to join the party so as to jointly struggle to wrest political power from the thieving capitalist rule elite.”
The SPN also extended its gratitude to Adeyinka Olumide – Fusika and the Citipoint Chambers for rendering the legal service at no cost to the party.
