The Court of Appeal has delivered a landmark judgment, dismissing a legal challenge aimed at the deregistration of the Action Peoples Party (APP) and strengthening the party’s legal standing in the country’s political landscape.
VDCInsights reports that in a decisive ruling, the appellate court declared the APP as “validly registered and validly existing,” effectively putting an end to a series of legal battles seeking to deregister the party.
The court further issued a mandatory order to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the party’s full participation in all future elections across the country, clearing the way for the APP to field candidates without the shadow of legal uncertainty.
This landmark judgment by the court could serve as a reference point or judicial precedent to other parties in court fight for the affirmation of their Legal status as political parties.
This judgment undoubtedly nullifies any other pending case or cases in court seeking the deregistration of the APP.
This ruling comes against the backdrop of unending legal battles against most of the opposition parties.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has backed a separate suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to compel INEC to deregister five political parties
Reacting to the Court of Appeal victory, Charles Okafor of the GDF Media Office expressed gratitude, framing the court’s decision as a triumph for democracy and justice.
Okafor said “APP people are always ahead of their illiterate enemies”, pointing out that the ruling is seen as a significant win for the party’s leadership and supporters, who have long maintained that the efforts to deregister the party were politically motivated.
Another Chieftain of the party who spoke to reporters after the judgment, Ben Nwakolam, said that he knew there was no validity in the politically motivated cases against the APP which he said was reason why some cheap government hireling in Owerri were holding court on the pages of newspapers.
According to him : ” In Imo state, the only people kicking against the registration of APP are the people who are afraid of the growing popularity of the party. Lackeys of the Imo state government who the courts had dismissed as “busybodies” and those who are scared of testing their popularity without manipulation and rigging.