From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos
Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) presidential candidate and founder of Household of God Church, Rev. Chris Okotie, yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to obey the rule of law by recognising his party as a legally registered party in accordance to the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Okotie, speaking in Lagos, also declared his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election on the platform of his party.
Okotie, who lamented INEC’s refusal to recognise his party, said despite the court’s ruling, INEC did not include FDP on the ballot papers that were released in August 2013 for the Anambra State governorship election which held 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.
Okotie’s Fresh Party was deregistered alongside 27 other parties on 6th of December, 2012 by INEC on alleged non-performance but Federal High Court presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, voided INEC’s decision.
The judge, while giving the ruling in 2013, said that INEC acted unconstitutionally by deregistering Okotie’s party and that it did not give FDP fair hearing before taking the decision.
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