PRESS STATEMENT
A Federal High Court in Abuja presided
over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole in a judgment delivered today has ordered the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Socialist
Party of Nigeria (SPN) within 30days.
We of the SPN welcome the judgment,
which has reaffirmed our democratic right to a freedom of association as a
political party that will participate in electoral processes with a socialist
programme. We call on the INEC to immediately obey the judgment and issue us
the certificate of registration.
The SPN has been in court since
September 10, 2014 challenging the INEC over its undemocratic decision not to
register the party despite having fulfilled all constitutional and legal
requirements including the payment of INEC-imposed One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) administrative fee.
While we welcome the judgement, we hold
that it is a sad commentary on the judicial system that a seemingly straight
forward case lasted over three years. This is due to the systemic problem in
the nation judiciary apart from the orchestrated delay tactics by the INEC. We
call for adequate funding and democratic management of the judiciary.
The SPN
extends its gratitude to Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika and the Citipoint Chambers
for rendering the legal service at no cost to the party. We equally congratulate
all party members, sympathizers and collaborators for their support and
steadfastness thus far. This victory is for the long suffering working masses
who have been yearning for a viable and genuine political alternative to all
the anti-poor political parties. We call on workers, youths, artisans, traders,
farmers and the poor masses in general to join the party so as to jointly
struggle to wrest political power from the thieving capitalist ruling elite.
Chinedu
Bosah
National Secretary
