24 parties sue electoral body over election fees

A coalition of 24 Nigerian political parties on Thursday filed a suit in an Abuja court challenging the decision of the country's electoral commission to impose fees on contestants in coming general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced it would charge as "processing fees" amounts ranging from 500,000 naira (US $4,000) for presidential candidates to 25,000 naira ($200) for those seeking local government councillorships. Gani Fawehinmi, leading human rights lawyer and presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, filed the suit on behalf of the parties challenging the INEC condition as nconstitutional. The aggrieved parties, most of whom were registered late last year to contest April-May general elections after they won a drawn out legal battle at the Supreme Court, accuse INEC of placing more obstacles in their way by imposing the fees. The Supreme Court had ruled that guidelines used by INEC to exclude the parties from registration were unconstitutional. But the electoral body has defended its decision to charge fees as within its constitutional powers. INEC secretary, Hakeem Buba, told reporters the body wanted to overcome financial constraints that could impede its efforts to ensure a smooth election. Six other parties, including the ruling People's Democratic Party and the two other parties that contested 1999 elections that ended more than 15 years of military rule in Nigeria, have not complained against the fees.