With the recent deregistration of 74 political parties, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has gotten an interim Management Committee to manage the affairs of the Council.
This was made known by the Interim Committee Chairman, Leonard Nzenwa, while briefing journalists in Abuja.
He said that it became imperative to set up the 7- man Committee to pilot the activities of the Council because it cannot afford to be grounded because some political parties were deregistered.
Nzenwa said, “after reviewing events that have unfolded over this period, the Interim Management Committee of the registered 18 political parties, whilst still discussing the way forward for these our colleagues, and aware that the Inter Party Advisory Council made up of only registered political parties as spelt out in its revised code of conduct for political parties in Nigeria (2018), Laws governing elections in Nigeria which include the Electoral Act 2010, INEC Regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections and innumerate extracts from 1999 Constitution relating to conduct, management and powers of INEC remain committed to the high mission of IPAC in consolidating our democracy .
“Driven therefore by this overriding need to ensure an environment conducive for successful elections going forward, and also for the greater obligatory requirement not to create vacuum in our electoral system and in the leadership of IPAC by ceasing not to act while the political system is brought to a halt on account of the deregistration of the 74 political parties a 360 degree engagement needs to be activated without delay to collectively engage with INEC and other core stakeholders saddled with the responsibility of planning, coordinating, monitoring and managing election matters in the country.
“Based on the forgoing, IPAC, a registered body of recognised political parties in the country occupies strategic and preeminent position in the united effort to contribute to the development of our electoral process and system”.
It added that, “we need to restate that as stakeholders especially now that many of the deregistered political parties seek legitimacy from the courts and INEC reasserts its commitment and resolve to clean up the electoral system, the Interim Management Committee steering the affairs of the 18 registered political parties in the country will not detain itself not to undertake crucial functions beholden to it to exercise towards promoting dialogue and adjudicating between among the political parties and several stakeholders seeking to reach out and engage with the registered political parties under the banner of IPAC.
“In furtherance of the above, State chapters of IPAC are hereby directed to replicate the Interim Management Committee to oversee the affairs of the Council in their respective states pending when election is to be conducted.”
The decision of the new IPAC interim committee has been however opposed by a rival group, claiming the action was illegal.
It should be noted that on February 17, Justice Anwuli of the Federal High Court in Abuja barred INEC from deregistering the 74 political parties. The judge in her ruling said INEC failed to counter the application filed by the 35 deregistered political parties.
