Supreme Court gives green light to new parties

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has unanimously thrown out several guidelines used by the country’s electoral body to deny registration to five political parties. The court's seven judges, led by Chief Justice Mohammed Uwais, ruled that 11 of 18 conditions imposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the registration of political parties were unconstitutional. "The registration of political parties in Nigeria is governed by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," Uwais said. Under the constitution, a political party is only required to submit to INEC copies of its logo and constitution, along with the addresses of its offices and principal officials. In June 2002, INEC had registered only three of 24 political parties seeking to contest elections due next year. They reasons it gave for rejecting the others included the fact that they did not have offices in at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states. Five of the parties challenged INEC in an appeal court and won, but the commission filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. Following Friday's ruling, officials of the five parties said they intended to seek certificates of registration from INEC. "Now the impediments have been removed we are deemed registered," Gani Fawehinmi, lawyer for the parties and leader of the National Conscience Party, told reporters. "I am happy that the Supreme Court has enfranchised millions of Nigerians."