Fresh suit asks court to deregister Labour Party, bar its candidates

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has been asked to deregister the Labour Party, LP.

The court, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/301/ 2024, equally asked to bar the party from further fielding candidates in any election being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Cited as 1st to 4th defendants in the suit that was brought by a group under the aegis of the Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, are; INEC, LP, Chairman of the party, Julius Abure as well as the two factional Chairman, Lamidi Apapa.

The plaintiff told the court that contrary to provisions of both the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Constitution of the LP, the party has failed to conduct its national convention since 2019.

Specifically, the plaintiff, is seeking, "A declaration that it is illegal, unconstitutional and void for the 1st defendant (INEC) to continue to keep the name of the 2nd defendant in the register of political parties in Nigeria when it is manifest that the 2nd defendant is in breach of sections 223(1) (a) and 222(a) of the 1999 Constitution.

"A declaration that the 2nd defendant lacks the legal competence to sponsor candidates in any election being conducted by the 1st defendant under the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, as the 2nd defendant is in utter breach of sections 223 (1) (a), 2(a) and 222 (a) of the 1999 Constitution. 

"An order compelling or directing the 1st defendant to exercise its powers under section 225A of the 1999 Constitution to deregister the 2nd defendant as a political party registered in Nigeria with powers to field candidates in any election being conducted by the 1st defendant in so far as the 2nd defendant is in breach of sections 223 (1) (a), 2(a) and 222 (a) of the 1999 Constitution. 

"An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st defendant from extending to the 2nd defendant the facilities for the fielding of any candidate for an election being conducted by the 1st defendant in so far as the 2nd defendant is in breach of sections 223 (1) (a), 2(a) and 222 (a) of the 1999 Constitution."

As well as, "An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd and 4th defendants from holding out themselves to be held out or presented as the National Chairman of the 2nd defendant in so far as none of them is the product of due compliance by the 2nd defendant with sections 223 (1) (a), 2(a) and 222 (a) of the 1999 Constitution."

The plaintiff, through their lawyer, Mr. Ukpai Ukairo, told the court that every political party is mandated by the 1999 Constitution to have the names and addresses of its national officers registered with INEC, before it can function as a political party in Nigeria. 

It told the court that the LP has no such record with INEC. 

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.