A civil society organisation (CSO), True Democracy in Action (TDA), has mocked Mr. Franklin Ngoforo led Civic Action For Democracy (CAD) over his legal challenge against the Action Peoples Party (APP), describing him as a “busy body” following the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to list the party for the forthcoming Abuja Area Council elections.
INEC, in a statement, confirmed that it has approved 17 political parties, including the Action Peoples Party (APP), to participate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council polls, having met all constitutional and electoral requirements.
The Commission stressed that only political parties that fully complied with the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines were cleared to contest, noting that the exercise was conducted strictly in line with the law.
Among the political parties cleared by INEC are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Peoples Party (APP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), alongside several others, bringing the total number of eligible parties to 17.
Reacting to the development, the group’s Head of Mission, Mrs. Adline Unanka, described the suit filed by the Ngoforo-led group at the Federal High Court, Owerri, as a “baseless and orchestrated distraction.” The suit seeks to challenge the participation and recognition of APP by INEC in the electoral process on claims that the party had been deregistered.
According to the group, INEC’s decision to list APP among the cleared parties has effectively reaffirmed the party’s legal status and eligibility to participate in the democratic process.
The CSO urged political actors to focus on issue-based campaigns rather than what it termed needless litigation, stressing that attempts to derail duly registered and recognised political parties from the electoral process through the courts would not succeed.
INEC reiterated its commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, and peaceful election, calling on political parties, candidates, and supporters to abide by electoral laws and guidelines.
As preparations intensify ahead of the polls, the Abuja Area Council elections are expected to be keenly contested across the six councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
