20 of the recently de-registered political parties have united under a coalition called Concerned Political Parties, CCPP and the group yesterday vowed to field candidates at the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State and the Senatorial election in Ekiti State.
The coalition also demanded the immediate dismissal of the commission’s chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, for going against provisions of the constitution.
The coalition at a briefing said that, INEC must declare whose interest it was protecting by deliberately flouting the ruling of the court on party de-registration.
While reading out the stand of the group, the National Chairman of Peoples Progressive Party, PPP, Engr. Damian Ogbonna, accused Professor Jega of having publicly exhibited partiality and disdain against many political parties in the country,
He stated that: “We state for the avoidance of doubt that we have lost faith in Professor Attahiru Jega as an unbiased umpire in the political process. Having publicly exhibited his partiality and disdain against many political parties in the country, we believe he is no longer in a position to honourably superintend in elections where the same parties are participants. Accordingly, we demand that Jega be dismissed immediately as the chairman of INEC.”
He said there is no doubt that by its ruling on the suit filed by Fresh Democratic Party; the court has ousted the powers of the commission to deregister parties.
Speaking on the losses suffered by the parties based on the illegal registration, Ogbonna said the action of INEC had led to the dismembering of most of the parties whose membership became frustrated and scattered.
Among the parties that make up this coalition are, Peoples Progressive Party, National Advance Party, New Democrat, Peoples Redemption Party, People’s Salvation Party, Action Party of Nigeria, African Liberation Party.
Others include, Progressive Action Party, Movement for Democracy and Justice, National Action Council, Better Nigeria People’s Party, National Conscience Party, African Political System, Justice Party, Change Advocacy Party, Community Party of Nigeria, and Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria