INEC, PPC disagree over party registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied the allegation that it deliberately denied some political parties’ registration during the 2015 general elections.

The commission stated this while reacting to a recent statement by the Providence People’s Congress (PPC), one of the political parties, which sought registration but was allegedly denied by the INEC.

The National Chairman of PPC, Mr. Benson Adetona said the party paid the mandatory N1 million registration fees to the INEC twice, but did not get any response from the electoral umpire.

Reacting to the claim by the PPC that the commission did not communicate with the party, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi presented a memo to The Guardian, which was issued from the Office of the Secretary to the Commission dated February 1, 2016.

It was addressed to the Protem Chairman of the PPC.The memo titled: “Re: Re-application to be registered as a political party,” signed by Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu stated: “Your letter of 23 December, 2015 received December 29, 2015 on the above matter refers.

The commission after considering your application wishes to inform you that your request for waiver of the payment of administrative fee cannot be sustained.The commission only allows for such a waiver on the condition that you applied within 30 days of the termination of your previous application. ”

The letter also stated that the association’s re-application to be considered on the already completed form PA1 and the verification exercise on July 21, 2014 could not be sustained because these same documents and verification exercise formed the basis for earlier disqualification.

The memo concluded that the association might wish to submit a fresh application in compliance with the relevant provisions for the commission’s consideration.But Adetona denied this, insisting that INEC did not communicate with the party.