The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Wednesday announced the dissolution of the Interim National Committee of the Council led by Leonard Ezenwa.
Basking in the euphoria of its victory at the Court of Appeal, the President-In-Council of IPAC, High Chief Peter Ameh, who announced the development at a news conference in Abuja, where he named members of the newly constituted electoral committee that will conduct election to usher in new Executives.
Recall that the Court of Appeal had Monday, quashed the deregistration of 74 political parties which has opened the space for the parties to continue to exist.
Chief Ameh is the National Chairman of the Peoples Progressives Alliance, PPA, while Leonard Ezenwa is the National Chairman of the Action Alliance Congress, AAC.
Announcing the dissolution of the Ezenwa led Executive, Ameh said the leadership of IPAC can only be attained through elections and his tenure will elapse on 5th of September when a new Exco will emerge.
His words “You can only be in the leadership of the inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Theo an election
“After our meeting today we resolved that the interim Management Committee is hereby dissolved.
“We have set up a new committee to conduct election for the 5th of September 2020 handover date, to have an election that will bring a new set leaders that will work for the general interest of the Nigerian people.”
He listed members of the IPAC 2020 electoral commission to include (A A) Salaam (LP), Alhaji Musa Taka. (ACD), Bamigboye Abiodun (SPN), Don Harmattan. (PCP) and Dr. Emeka Okengwu (ASD)
The IPAC president described the Appeal Court judgement as a land mark which has expanded political space for Nigerians as it has restated the rights of all Nigerians to associate with any political party of their choice and seek elections.
“The Appeal Court judgement has brought hope to our democracy the common man as our respected jurists have by their unanimous judgement said that the boy in Agege, the boy in Mushin, the boy in Akpakpava, the boy in Nyanya has the same equal right as the boy in Maitama.”
The deregistration of the parties made Ameh to forfeit his membership and Presidency of IPAC until the declarative judgement of the Appeal Court granting all the parties the right to exist, thus reinstating Ameh as the President of the Association.
It would be recalled that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had in February this year announced at a press conference, the disqualification of 74 political parties on the ground that they failed to meet constitutional requirements, especially that of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitutional Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
No fewer than 32 political parties had approached the Federal High court seeking order to set aside the decision of INEC to deregister 74 political parties in the country that failed to make constitutional requirements to function as political party.
However, the court refused the prayers of the plaintiffs and upheld the constitutional powers of INEC to deregister political parties.
The court held that the powers of the INEC, to deregister political parties was sacrosanct.
Justice Anwuli Chikere in her judgment held that Section 225(a) of the Constitution gives INEC the powers to deregister parties that failed to comply with the provisions of the Constitution.
Earlier, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the same court in Abuja had in two separate judgments also upheld the same powers of INEC.
However, the Court of Appeal today condemned the lack of courage by trial courts to stand against tyranny and oppression.
In a unanimous decision, the panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal, declared as illegal, unconstitutional and void, the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in deregistrating political Parties while the matter was pending in Court.
The Court of Appeal stressed the need for the Executive arm of government to follow laid down procedures in discharging its constitutional duties.
Source: Vanguard
