Ikenna Enekweizu, the National Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has dismissed concerns about a recent court ruling. He argued the judgment won't ultimately stand against his party's registration efforts.
A Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, reversed an earlier decision on Friday. That earlier ruling had directed INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
Speaking on Arise News, Enekweizu made a striking claim about the Peace Movement Party. He noted that PMP doesn't exist and never applied to INEC for registration.
The NDC official explained the registration status remains intact. He said the court had already deemed the NDC registered by INEC when they applied.
According to him, INEC initially rejected the NDC's application without justification. The commission had refused registration despite the party meeting all requirements.
INEC's stated reason was problematic, Enekweizu told the news outlet. The electoral body claimed the NDC's logo resembled that of the All Progressives Congress.
That complaint prompted the NDC to head to court. The party filed suit against INEC, not against any other political party.
"If anyone should have been joined in the case, it would've been the APC," he argued. The APC was the party allegedly wronged by the logo similarity.
Something changed once court proceedings began, according to Enekweizu. INEC suddenly introduced a new complaint during the hearing.
The electoral commission shifted its position drastically during trial. It now claimed the NDC's logo resembled the PMP logo instead.
Enekweizu criticized this as legally improper. He invoked a fundamental principle: you cannot both reject and accept the same argument.
"They gave one reason initially," he explained to reporters. When INEC abandoned that reason in court, they effectively conceded the case.
The admission undermined INEC's entire position, he contended. Once the original justification disappeared, the case should've been decided in the NDC's favor.
Enekweizu raised another critical point about PMP. At the time the NDC filed suit, only 18 political parties were registered in Nigeria.
PMP was not among those 18 registered entities. Additionally, 171 political associations had applied for registration status at that time.
PMP appeared on neither list, Enekweizu stressed. This made it impossible for the NDC to have known about PMP initially.
His argument highlighted what he called INEC's inconsistency. The commission couldn't refuse registration based on a party that didn't exist.
Enekweizu maintained the court's reversal wouldn't survive legal scrutiny. He suggested the NDC would pursue further judicial action if necessary.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between INEC and political parties. Registration decisions continue to generate controversy and litigation.
