By Luminous Jannamike
Accord Party on Wednesday hailed the Court of Appeal’s decision nullifying the Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the party and four others, describing the appellate court’s verdict as “victory for democracy, rule of law and due process.”
For Accord, the ruling was more than a courtroom victory. The party said it had preserved its place in Nigeria’s democratic process and protected the constitutional right of citizens to freely associate and participate in politics, expressing confidence that the judgment reaffirmed the judiciary’s role as the guardian of democratic values.
In a statement by its National Chairman, Barr. Maxwell Mgbudem, the party said: “The appellate court verdict is a victory for democracy, rule of law and due process. It has restored sanity in the ongoing electoral process and justified the confidence Nigerians reposed in the Judiciary as the temple of justice and last hope of all aggrieved citizens.
“The Court of Appeal ruling is indeed sweet music in the ears of all lovers of representative governance in Nigeria. It is also a powerful signal that anti-democratic and reactionary forces will be defeated if citizens stand up for their rights to democratic participation.”
