The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate the registration process of the Access Party (AP).
In a ruling in Wednesday, the court ordered the commission to issue it an official access code to enable the political association to complete its registration process.
The legal action was instituted by the party’s pro tem National Chairman, Dr. Audu Bulama-Bukarti, alongside Mevon Samuel on behalf of the association’s membership.
The plaintiffs had dragged the electoral umpire to court after INEC discontinued their registration process over objections to the party’s proposed logo, which features an animated eagle head with “Access Party” inscribed across it.
In a letter dated September 2025, INEC had claimed the logo was unsuitable and shared similarities with the symbol of the Democratic Leadership Party (DLP), an unregistered political association.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of Court 11 ruled that the electoral body acted unlawfully by halting the process based on the alleged unsuitability of the logo.
The judge declared INEC’s rejection letter ultra vires, unlawful, and inconsistent with Sections 40, 222, and 224 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as Section 79 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The court declared that the Access Party’s proposed logo is distinct, suitable, and fully compliant with all relevant constitutional and statutory provisions. Furthermore, Justice Egwuatu held that INEC’s reliance on the logo of an unregistered association to disqualify the plaintiffs was arbitrary, unreasonable, and a violation of the principles of natural justice, thereby declaring the commission’s restrictive letter null and void.
Consequent upon these findings, the court ordered INEC to immediately grant the party the requisite access code. This, it said will enable the association to download, fill, and submit Form EC 15A(1) along with its Constitution, Manifesto, membership register, and the minutes of the meeting detailing the election of its National Executive Committee (NEC).
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate the registration process of the Access Party (AP).
In a ruling in Wednesday, the court ordered the commission to issue it an official access code to enable the political association to complete its registration process.
The legal action was instituted by the party’s pro tem National Chairman, Dr. Audu Bulama-Bukarti, alongside Mevon Samuel on behalf of the association’s membership.
The plaintiffs had dragged the electoral umpire to court after INEC discontinued their registration process over objections to the party’s proposed logo, which features an animated eagle head with “Access Party” inscribed across it.
In a letter dated September 2025, INEC had claimed the logo was unsuitable and shared similarities with the symbol of the Democratic Leadership Party (DLP), an unregistered political association.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of Court 11 ruled that the electoral body acted unlawfully by halting the process based on the alleged unsuitability of the logo.
The judge declared INEC’s rejection letter ultra vires, unlawful, and inconsistent with Sections 40, 222, and 224 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as Section 79 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The court declared that the Access Party’s proposed logo is distinct, suitable, and fully compliant with all relevant constitutional and statutory provisions. Furthermore, Justice Egwuatu held that INEC’s reliance on the logo of an unregistered association to disqualify the plaintiffs was arbitrary, unreasonable, and a violation of the principles of natural justice, thereby declaring the commission’s restrictive letter null and void.
Consequent upon these findings, the court ordered INEC to immediately grant the party the requisite access code. This, it said will enable the association to download, fill, and submit Form EC 15A(1) along with its Constitution, Manifesto, membership register, and the minutes of the meeting detailing the election of its National Executive Committee (NEC).
