Raphael Igbokwe, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, says INEC is under pressure to deregister parties like the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party (LP). He spoke after the Federal High Court in Abuja scheduled a ruling for March 24 on a suit challenging these parties’ compliance with constitutional requirements.

Igbokwe said the court case seeks clarification on constitutional provisions governing political parties and aims to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence. He emphasized the importance of INEC applying the law consistently to all parties.

He questioned why INEC, which registered 74 political parties in 2021, appears selective in enforcing compliance now. Igbokwe stressed that the matter should ultimately be settled by the courts.

The former legislators’ leader said the legal proceedings will enrich the nation’s electoral framework and ensure fairness in regulating political parties.