18th March, 2014
Taiwo Okanlawon
Fresh Democratic Party, FDP, presidential candidate and founder of Household of God Church, Rev. Kris Okotie, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to obey the rule of law by recognising his party as a legally registered party in accordance with the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Okotie declared this when he addressed journalists in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Tuesday ahead of the 2015 general elections which he has indicated his interest to contest again as the party’s standard bearer.
Okotie’s Fresh Party was deregistered along with 27 other parties on 6 December, 2012 by INEC on alleged non-performance.
The flamboyant pastor who took INEC to court after his party was deregistered, won the case when a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, voided INEC’s decision.
The judge said while giving the ruling in 2013, that INEC acted unconstitutionally by deregistering Okotie’s party and that it did not give FDP fair hearing before taking the decision.
Okotie said despite the court’s ruling, INEC did not include the name of FDP on the ballot papers that were released in August 2013 for the Anambra State governorship election that took place on 16 November, 2013.
He insisted that INEC should comply with the court’s ruling to enable the party organise its national convention where it would elect officers to run the affairs of the party.