RE-REGISTER OR FORGET 2015 INEC TELLS DEREGISTERED PARTIES

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By Ayomide Oriade

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told all deregistered political parties to re-register their party or forget about fielding candidates for 2015 elections.

National Commissioner in charge of South-West, Lai Olurode, stated this while reacting to Fresh Democratic Party’s claim that INEC had disobeyed court order to recognise the party.

Olurode said that there was no law that said that no legal provision precluded such political parties from reapplying to be reregistered, provided they met the requirements.

The commissioner was reacting to claims by Fresh Democratic Party that INEC had disobeyed court order to recognise it as a political party.

According to him, “If a deregistered party has not gone to court or the power of INEC has not been destroyed as illegal by a court of law, that party cannot field a candidate come 2015.”

He further explained that: “The only exception is if the party has gone back to seek re-registration which is possible under the law.There is no law that says you cannot apply as a de-registered party if you think you have complied with the requirements of registration.

“For a party to be recognised as a political party as enshrined in the constitution, that party must be in compliance with the laws, rules and regulations. The laws, rules, and regulations must be as laid down in the constitution and in the Electoral Acts.”

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