Breaking: Court Orders INEC To Approve New Political Party

The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to permit the Grassroot Initiative Party (GRIP) to proceed with its registration as a political party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Binta Nyako ordered INEC to reopen its registration portal for 27 days, beginning from March 26, to allow the group complete the process.

The judge ruled that INEC violated its own 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties by shutting down the portal just three days after issuing an access code meant to remain valid for 30 days.

According to the court, the commission’s action prematurely denied the applicants the opportunity to fulfil registration requirements within the stipulated timeframe.

Justice Nyako further rejected INEC’s claim that the case was invalid and filed outside the required timeframe, noting that the commission failed to prove it had informed the applicants about the portal’s closure.

She held that the absence of proper notification weakened INEC’s defence.

The applicants, represented by Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie and Mohammed Abas Kuti, had approached the court after alleging that the portal was shut shortly after they were granted access, despite paying a ₦2 million administrative fee.

Filed on December 24, 2025, through their lawyer Jideofor Ukachukwu, the suit challenged the legality of closing the portal before the expiration of the 30-day window required for submission of necessary documents.

The applicants maintained that they still had 27 days left to complete the process when the portal was closed and asked the court to declare INEC’s action unlawful.

Meanwhile, the court dismissed similar suits filed by the Green Future Party (GFP) and the Liberation People’s Party (LPP) against INEC.

In its ruling, the court held that GFP failed to meet constitutional requirements for registration, while LPP’s case was weakened by inconsistencies, making it ineligible for the reliefs sought.