The African Renaissance Party (ARP) in a surprising move yesterday, threw its weight behind the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the latest de-registration of political parties.
The electoral body only a fortnight ago axed 28 political parties. It went ahead to strike out three more parties on Friday; they include: African Renaissance Party (ARP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and National Transformation Party (NTP). A statement by INEC Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama, said: “the action was in continuation of the exercise of the powers conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).” According to him, the composition of the National Executive Committees of ARP, NDP and NTP failed to meet the requirements of Section 223(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended). The ARP, rising in defense of INEC, said “the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] was completely justified and blameless in de-registering the party.” The party in an apparent acceptance of the penalty noted that it has no grounds to object as it “did not win any seat at either the national or any state Assembly.” Below is a full text of the statement :
The African Renaissance Party [ARP] which was de-registered yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commision [INEC] wishes to state in unequivocal terms that the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] was completely [100%] justified and blameless in de-registering the party.
First of all, the law upon which INEC acted in de-registering the party was a law made by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not by INEC. Secondly, the law was made about 2 years ago and therefore, Nigerian political parties [including the African Renaissance Party] had more than enough time to have challenged the law in court and gotten the law declared null and void as being inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, but the parties did not. Turning around now to blame and insult INEC is not only stupid but unpatriotic.
The last convention of the ARP was done right there at the real last functional secretariat of the party at No.10, 53 {fela Anikulapo} Kuti Road, 5th Avenue, Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja. But when the landlord [Isa Mudi] increased the rent from N650,000 [six hundred and fifthy thousand Naira] to N1,700,000 [one million and seven hundred thousand naira] and further demanded that we pay two years up front, we had no option than to quit.
When INEC came for verification on the 17th of December 2012, we received them at number 13, Yaounde street, Wuse zone 6, Garki, Abuja where we had hurriedly arranged. How can we now say that INEC deregistered us out of spit or any such nonsense.
The world knows that we further did not win any seat at either the national or any state assembly.
I am the founder and the National Chairman of the party, and I hail from Oghe in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu state. Where I come from, truth is sacred. The African Renaissance Party for as long as I lead, would prefer to die on the path of truth than to live on the side of lies and falsehood.
As for us in the African Renaissance Party [ARP] we shall double our efforts, try and overcome our inadequacies indicated by INEC in the letter of de-registration and reapply to INEC for re-registration. In the meantime, we thank INEC and the good and long suffering people of Nigeria for giving us such a golden opportunity to take active part in the task of national development.
Comments