The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has demanded the deregistration of four political parties, including the Action Alliance (AA), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Accord Party, the Zenith Labour Party, and the Action Peoples Party (APP).
Fagbemi told a Federal High Court that it was unconstitutional to retain political parties that have failed to win electoral seats.
His demand was contained in an affidavit in reply to a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) seeking the deregistration of the parties.
While calling for compliance with the provision of Section 225A of the Nigerian Constitution, he said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no residual discretion to retain the registration of political parties that have clearly failed to satisfy the minimum threshold prescribed under Section 225A of the Constitution.
He added that the continued existence of nonperforming political parties will inflate the ballots, burden public funds, complicate election administration and undermine the constitutional intention.
He said that by the provisions of Section 225A of the 4th Amendment to the Nigerian Constitution, the rule was made to address ballot paper clogging, which had complicated the voting process.
Fagbemi said he was the chief law officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the responsibility to bring, defend or support any action for the observance of the provisions of the constitution.
Earlier, counsel to NFFL, Yakubu Ruba (SAN), had submitted that the action seeks a judicial interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions governing the registration and continued recognition of political parties in Nigeria.
“We are before the court purely for constitutional interpretation. Some parties, in our view, have acted in breach of the constitution, and we seek the court’s guidance on the relevant provisions,” he said.
