The All Progressives Congress has requested for immediate enforcement of the judgment of the Supreme Court on the compliance of Section 77 of the electoral Act 2026 by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
The Supreme Court judgement in INEC vs. Zenith Labour Party gives leverage to the statutory requirements governing the submission and use of political parties’ membership register for party primaries, congresses and conventions.
In a letter jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party and dispatched to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the party urged the electoral body to ensure that each political party submitted its digital membership within the statutory period of not later that 21 days before the relevant primary election, Congress or conventions.
It urged INEC to apply the statutory consequences of non-compliance in accordance of the Act and the Supreme Court decision, including the exclusion of any party from fielding candidates where the statutory conditions for that consequence have been established.
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The APC noted that allowing political parties to disregard the prescribed requirements without the application of the consequences stipulated by law would undermine the objectives of internal party democracy, electoral transparency, and the rule of law.
INEC at a World Press Conference earlier this week said it is studying the Supreme Court judgement to give it effect.
Since the Supreme Court’s judgement, some candidates have been speculated in the media as having been affected.
They include the APC Governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, and the NDC senatorial candidate for Delta Central, Ovie Omo-Agege, who is a former deputy senate president.
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(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
