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Court Grants Application of African People’s Congress (APC) Restraining INEC

Posted: April 30, 2013

By SaharaReporters, New York

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has endorsed the application of the African People’s Congress (APC) to proceed with hearing on its suit seeking judicial review of the rejection by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of its application for registration as a political party.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, about an hour ago, ruled on the application of the African People’s Congress for the Court to hear and adjudicate on the action filed by APC in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/224/2013.
While moving to upturn the decision of INEC against the APC registration, this ruling also paves way for a full blown legal battle over the APC name and acronym, as the African People’s Congress had also asked the court to restrain INEC from entertaining any application by any group or person seeking registration of any political party bearing the name or acronym of the African People’s Congress (APC), until the subsisting suit is determined by the court.
The leadership of the APC however views today's ruling as commendable and a vital achievement in the process of restoring the bid of the African People's Congress (APC) to be registered as a political party.
The court action instituted by the APC is on the strength of the provisions of Section 79 of the Electoral Act which empowers any association denied registration as a political party by INEC to seek judicial review within 30 days of being notified by INEC.
Also vying for registration is the All Progressives Congress (APC), a merger of several prominent political parties.