De-registration of Five Parties, Recipe For Chaos, Says Ex-Edo PDP Deputy Chairman, Ben-Osagie

 Ben-Osagie

Hendrix Oliomogbe 

A top member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Clement Ben Edo-Osagie has described the order by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC,) to de-register five political parties as a recipe for political crisis and weakening of opposition parties, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Hon. Ben-Osagie, a former Edo State deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), said such miscarriage of justice by the Federal High Court and misguided move are threats to the electoral system and deliberate attempt to silent opposition parties in the country.

In a statement Thursday in Benin City, he expressed disgust over the travesty of justice, despite a stay of execution handed down by the court of appeal also sitting in Abuja.

Ben-Osagie added: "Democracy thrives when the opposition is vibrant, strong and able to checkmate the excesses and misrule of the party in power. I totally condemned the use of the judiciary to stifle opposition parties in the country."

The former member of the defunct constitutional conference said that the deregistration of ADC, which already complied with INEC directives to conduct primaries, resulting in the choice of a presidential and vice presidential candidates, with agenda to liberate Nigerians from economic squalor, poverty and uncertainties, is an invitation to anarchy.

Hon. Edo-Osagie blamed the APC led Federal Government for all the economic woes be-develing the country, resulting in high cost of living, hunger starvation, insecurity, epileptic supply of electricity, mismanagement of resources, and craze to hold on to power tenaciously.

He said: "INEC should refrain from dancing to the tune of the presidency to conduct one sided elections tainted towards one party system. It should, instead remain neutral as an unbiased empire. Nigerians and the international community are watching if INEC will get it right in 2027."

Recalled that along with ADC, Justice Lifu recently ordered the Commission to deregistered Action People's Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.