With the 2015 elections just around the corner, A Federal
High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to include the Young Democratic Party (YDP)
in lists of its duly registered political parties.
By implication, INEC would have to reprint new ballot papers for the elections which is just three weeks away.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed made the order in his judgment on the suit filed by the party, challenging its denial of registration by INEC.
Justice Mohammed said that The Young Democratic Party (YDP) was believed registered when INEC failed to inform the then political association of its decision not to register it as a political party within 30 days of receiving its application, as required under Section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2010.
INEC was said to have received the association’s application on April 1, 2014 but only notified the applicant of its decision not to register it on September 15, 2014.
Also, with this new development, uncertainty now looms over possible conduct of the rescheduled elections on March 28 and April, respectively, as INEC is now expected to reproduce ballot papers to bear YDP and its logo.
The alarming question now is: Will INEC be able to honour this judgement with the rescheduled elections barely three weeks away?
It would be recalled that The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman,Professor Attahiru Jega last year said; Nigeria has only 25 registered political parties. Hence, the inclusion of The Young Democratic Party (YDP) takes the total number of registered political parties in the country to 26.
Meanwhile, another report has it that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) plan to conduct a ‘mock’ election to publicly test run its Smart Card Reader (SCR) machines.
By implication, INEC would have to reprint new ballot papers for the elections which is just three weeks away.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed made the order in his judgment on the suit filed by the party, challenging its denial of registration by INEC.
Justice Mohammed said that The Young Democratic Party (YDP) was believed registered when INEC failed to inform the then political association of its decision not to register it as a political party within 30 days of receiving its application, as required under Section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2010.
INEC was said to have received the association’s application on April 1, 2014 but only notified the applicant of its decision not to register it on September 15, 2014.
Also, with this new development, uncertainty now looms over possible conduct of the rescheduled elections on March 28 and April, respectively, as INEC is now expected to reproduce ballot papers to bear YDP and its logo.
The alarming question now is: Will INEC be able to honour this judgement with the rescheduled elections barely three weeks away?
It would be recalled that The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman,Professor Attahiru Jega last year said; Nigeria has only 25 registered political parties. Hence, the inclusion of The Young Democratic Party (YDP) takes the total number of registered political parties in the country to 26.
Meanwhile, another report has it that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) plan to conduct a ‘mock’ election to publicly test run its Smart Card Reader (SCR) machines.
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