Court orders INEC to reopen GRIP party registration portal

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reopen the political party registration portal to allow the Grassroot Initiative Party (GRIP) to complete the registration process.

Delivering the ruling on Thursday, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that INEC must grant GRIP access to the portal for 27 days, starting March 26, to finalize its application.

The court found that INEC’s earlier decision to shut down the portal just three days after issuing an access code to GRIP was inconsistent with its own Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

Justice Nyako said the commission acted improperly by closing the portal before the 30-day period for completing the registration requirements expired.

The judge also rejected INEC’s argument that the case was closed outside the legally permitted timeframe, ruling that the commission did not provide evidence of having formally notified the appellants of the closure of the portal.

According to the court, INEC’s failure to demonstrate that such notice had been served on the applicants undermined its position.

The case was brought by Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie and Mohammed Abas Kuti, who represented GRIP members seeking registration as a political party.

Through their lawyer, Jideofor Ukachukwu, the plaintiffs argued that they had paid the required $2 million administrative fee and were entitled to the full 30 days to upload the necessary documents.

They argued that the premature closure of the portal prevented them from completing the process, contrary to the guidelines set by INEC and the user manual.

The court agreed with their position and ordered INEC to restore access, allowing the party to complete registration within the remaining period.

In a related development, Justice Nyako dismissed separate suits filed by the Green Future Party (GFP) and the Liberation People’s Party (LPP) against INEC.

The court ruled that the GFP did not meet the constitutional requirements for party registration.

Similarly, LPP’s case was dismissed, as the court noted that, despite having a valid access code at the time, the party did not meet the necessary conditions to support its claim.

The ruling is expected to have implications on the registration processes of political parties ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming elections.