ALLEGING illegality, the People's Redemption Party (PRP), led by former Governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa on Monday protested the party's deregistration, vowing to continue to function and mobilise towards the 2015 elections.
The party on Monday sent a protest letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that the electoral body had no power to de-register PRP "because the names and addresses of its national officers and its constitution were duly registered with INEC in accordance with the provisions of section 222 of the 1999 Constitution.
In the protest letter, PRP's National Legal Adviser, Mallam Aliyu Umar insisted that "as far as the PRP is concerned, it will continue to function as a political party in Nigeria in strict compliance with the provisions of section 221-229 of the 1999 Constitution. "
Umar further argued: "The aforementioned provisions of the constitution are as clear as they can be; and no law made by the National Assembly, which goes counter to the said provisions of the Constitution can be binding on the PRP."
He pointed out that "if, however, INEC chooses to apply any law, which has directly infringed on the clear constitutional right of the PRP to function as a political party, that is the business of INEC; and the members of the PRP and their leaders will continue to defend their right to political association by all means."
Umar continued: "INEC should note that as far as the PRP is concerned, it is the Constitution first and unlawful and unconstitutional laws last. In any case, INEC does not have the constitutional power to de-register what
it does not have the constitutional power to register. The provisions of any inferior legislation made for the sole purpose of infringing the fundamental rights of Nigerians to free political association guaranteed under section 40 of the constitution cannot change that position".
"It is important for INEC to understand that before PRP began to constitutionally function as a political party, as section 229 of the constitution graphically explained, it fully satisfied the conditions clearly spelt out in the constitution; and will continue to function as a political party with its right to contest all elections".
