Denies links with Obi
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
There is no let-up in the outrage against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over party registration, with the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) dragging the electoral commission to court for denying its registration.
The promoter of ADA, Dr Umar Ardo, speaking in a programme monitored on Trust TV, accused INEC of compromising its own standards by registering the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) while denying ADA’s registration.
The promoter of NDC and former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, had earlier absolved INEC of any bias, stating that NDC was registered based on a court order.
Ardo insisted that the NDC registration did not follow due process because the party did not participate in the official screening process.
According to Ardo, of the 171 political associations that submitted expressions of interest for registration, only 14 were shortlisted for further screening.
He stated that NDC was not among the political associations that applied or participated in the screening, adding that it was shocking that a group that was not shortlisted suddenly appeared with a registration certificate.
While rejecting INEC’s claims that NDC was registered based on a court order, Ardo questioned the legal foundation of the claims.
“For a court to give such an order, there must have been submissions, and INEC must have been served and represented. We intend to obtain the Certified True Copies of the court processes from the Federal High Court in Lokoja to understand what transpired,” he added.
Ardo, who disclosed that the group has already initiated legal proceedings against INEC, noted that the mission of the political association is not merely for the 2027 elections.
He stressed that it is prepared to go to the Supreme Court to seek justice and demonstrate its pursuit of fairness and due process.
“We are not doing this just for 2027. We are determined to prove that we fulfilled all legal requirements and were unjustly denied registration,” he said.
Ardo seized the opportunity to address claims linking ADA to the former Anambra State governor and former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, noting that it was an attempt to discredit the political group.
He insisted that the ADA project is independent and rooted in constitutional rights, emphasising that any Nigerian has the freedom to sponsor a political party.
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