A human rights lawyer, Ejime Okolie, has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Attorney-General of the Federation, and 19 political parties over what he described as excessive expression of interest and nomination fees ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Okolie asked Justice Binta Nyako to compel INEC to issue binding guidelines that would set reasonable limits on nomination and expression of interest fees charged by political parties.
Okolie, who is suing on his own behalf and on behalf of millions of Nigerians interested in participating in the electoral process, also urged the court to restrain political parties from imposing or enforcing fees that could prevent qualified citizens from contesting in party primaries for the 2027 elections.
He further requested that any orders granted by the court should apply prospectively to protect the constitutional rights of citizens ahead of the polls.
The lawyer argued that the high cost of nomination forms imposed by political parties prior to the 2023 general elections excluded many qualified Nigerians, including himself, from participating in the primaries.
According to him, the practice violates the fundamental right to freedom of association guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He also asked the court to declare that financial barriers that disproportionately prevent ordinary Nigerians from participating in politics amount to discrimination, contrary to Section 42 of the Constitution.
Among the political parties listed as respondents in the suit are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and 16 others. INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation were joined as the 20th and 21st respondents, respectively.
Justice Nyako has fixed February 12 for hearing of the case.
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