Festus Okoye: INEC Must Enforce Section 77 Supreme Court Ruling

• Festus Okoye, a legal practitioner and former INEC National Commissioner, urged the electoral body to apply the Supreme Court's ruling on party membership registers uniformly.
• He stated that if any party violates Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC should remove its candidate.
• Okoye warned against the selective enforcement of the Supreme Court's judgment, which has generated controversy.
• His call emphasizes the need for consistent adherence to legal provisions governing party membership lists for all political entities.

If Any Party Violated Section 77, INEC Should Remove Its Candidate

Festus Okoye, a prominent legal practitioner with a background as the former National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), recently issued a strong admonition to the electoral body. He asserted that any enforcement of the Supreme Court’s judgment concerning party membership registers must be applied universally, without exception. This directive from Okoye underscores the critical need for impartiality in the application of electoral laws.

His statement specifically addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the Supreme Court’s pronouncement on the maintenance and submission of party membership registers. Okoye emphasized that if INEC intends to act on the Supreme Court’s directive, particularly regarding violations of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, then it must be prepared to disqualify candidates from any political party found to be in breach. This clear stance, articulated by a former high-ranking official, highlights the gravity of the situation and the potential for significant electoral repercussions.

The core of the current electoral discourse revolves around the Supreme Court’s definitive judgment concerning party membership registers, a ruling that has generated considerable controversy. This judgment mandates strict adherence to the provisions outlined in Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which governs how political parties are to maintain and submit their membership lists to INEC. The legal framework established by this section is crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability within the internal processes of political parties.

The Supreme Court’s decision effectively empowers INEC to scrutinize these registers more rigorously, making their proper submission and maintenance a prerequisite for candidate eligibility. Festus Okoye's intervention serves as a reminder of the legal obligations placed upon all political entities. The consistent application of this Supreme Court judgment electoral compliance is paramount to upholding the rule of law in Nigeria's democratic process, preventing any party from gaining an unfair advantage through non-compliance with the stipulated regulations.

The warning from Festus Okoye against the selective application of the Supreme Court's ruling carries significant weight for the integrity of future elections. His assertion that "If Any Party Violated Section 77, INEC Should Remove Its Candidate" directly addresses concerns about potential bias or inconsistent enforcement by the electoral commission. Such selective enforcement could undermine public trust in INEC's impartiality and lead to widespread challenges regarding candidate eligibility.

For political parties and their candidates, the implications are profound. A failure by INEC to uniformly apply the Supreme Court's judgment on party membership registers could create an uneven playing field, where some parties are held to stricter standards than others. Okoye's call for comprehensive INEC party membership register enforcement is therefore not merely a legal technicality but a fundamental requirement for credible and fair elections, ensuring that all participants operate under the same set of rules derived from Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.

Lawyers advising political parties or candidates must closely monitor how INEC consistently applies the Supreme Court's Section 77 ruling on party membership registers, as selective enforcement could lead to grounds for challenging candidate eligibility or election outcomes.

Source: Original reporting via TheNigeriaLawyer