UPN pays N1m registration fee to INEC

A political association, the Unity Party of Nigeria, said on Tuesday that it had paid the N1m non-refundable fee to the Independent National Electoral Commission to qualify for registration.

The acting National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Sokoto, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

Sokoto said the amount was paid on Monday vide an Ecobank cheque No: 130905, dated 02-04-2013.

“I confirm to you that we paid the N1m non-refundable registration fee to INEC yesterday (April 29).

“And INEC had acknowledged receipt of same the same day,” he said.

A letter conveying the payment to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, dated April 29, was made available toNAN in Abuja.

The letter was entitled ‘Re: Instruction to Register A Political Party: Request for Information/Modalities’.

It read in part, “We write to acknowledge receipt of political party (hereinafter referred to as Unity Party of Nigeria) registration form from Mr. Ben Nwaokenya Esq (acting National Legal Adviser) a fortnight ago.

“We have gone through the requirements for the party (hereinafter referred to as Unity Party of Nigeria) registration that come along with the form and we wish to present our One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) only registration fee for your commission.

“Other requirements will be met soonest.’’

Acting National Chairman of the group, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, also told NAN on telephone that they stood on the socio-political and economic legacies of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“Equality of good fortune must be to each reward; liberty and brotherhood are the goals for which we will strive; plus plenty and the good things of life.

“All the political parties since 1999 have failed us. It is for this reason that we have resolved to create a platform for the platformless, create a voice for the generality of Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted leave to the African Peoples Congress, one of the groups jostling to be registered under the acronym, APC, to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The group is bitter that INEC failed to register it as a political party.

Ruling on an ex parte application brought by the association, Justice Gabriel Kolawole granted the party leave of the court to hear and adjudicate on the application filed in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/224/2013.

The court gave the party a week to file all its processes and serve same on INEC.

No hearing date had been fixed for the substantive suit.

The plaintiffs, numbering about 30, who sued on behalf of themselves and the party  are seeking a declaration that INEC lacked the discretion  to refuse to register an association as a political party once the conditions stipulated by the said defendant for registration are met.

In an application filed by their counsel, Ededem  Ani of Awa Kalu SAN’s chambers, they asked the court to declare that being the principal members and promoters of the association known as African People’s Congress, they have met all conditions of eligibility for the registration of African’s People’s Congress as a political party.
PUNCH MAY 1, 2013