Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation has
thrown support behind a legal action seeking the deregistration of several
political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, over alleged
constitutional violations.
The position was made known in a filing before the
Federal High Court in Abuja, where the AGF is listed as a defendant alongside
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other parties such as
the Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, Accord, and Zenith Labour Party.
In the notice, the AGF stated that its stance is
rooted in its constitutional duty to uphold and protect the provisions of the
law. It cited its role under the 1999 Constitution, emphasizing its
responsibility to initiate, defend, or support legal actions that ensure
compliance with constitutional requirements.
According to the filing, the Attorney General also has
a duty to enforce laws such as the Electoral Act in the public interest and to
ensure that legal interpretations are properly applied.
The AGF further argued that its involvement helps
improve access to justice, particularly for citizens who may lack the resources
to challenge constitutional breaches on their own.
It warned that the continued existence of
underperforming political parties contributes to ballot congestion, higher
election costs, and administrative inefficiencies—outcomes it said contradict
the intent of constitutional provisions such as Section 225A.
Additionally, the AGF maintained that INEC does not
have the discretion to retain political parties that fail to meet
constitutional benchmarks, stressing that failure to deregister such parties
could amount to a breach of duty.
The case represents a significant development in
ongoing legal debates surrounding the regulation of political parties and the
extent of INEC’s powers under Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
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