Ex Presidential Candidate Slams INEC Over Abuse Of Power On Party Ban
Former presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo has criticised the court order directing the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
He described the decision as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy and argued that it runs contrary to the spirit of democratic freedoms.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the removal of the affected parties after ruling that they failed to meet constitutional requirements, including electoral performance benchmarks.
The judgment also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to prevent the parties from taking part in future elections.
Reacting to the ruling, Adebayo maintained that reducing the number of political platforms weakens democratic participation and limits political choices for Nigerians.
Although his Social Democratic Party was not affected, he said he could not remain silent over a decision he believes threatens political diversity.
He pledged support for the affected parties as they seek legal remedies and renewed his call for electoral reforms.
Adebayo also argued that political associations should be allowed to field candidates freely, while INEC should focus on conducting credible elections rather than controlling party registration.
