INEC Issues Certificate Of Registration To SPN (PHOTO)

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday issued a certificate of registration to Socialist Party of Nigeria in obedience to a court order.

The certificate was presented to the party’s leaders by Shettima Arfo, INEC’s national commissioner and member of of its Elections and Party Monitoring Department, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Nov. 28, 2017, ordered INEC to register SPN and issue it Certificate of Registration.

This followed a case filed by the party that despite fulfilling statutory conditions, including payment of administration fee of N1 million, INEC refused to register it for not allowing the commission to verify its submitted claims.

SPN accused the commission of failing to process its application within 30 days as stipulated by Section 78 (3 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2010.

The SPN Deputy National Chairman, Mr Abiodun Bamgboye, told newsmen after collecting the certificate, that “SPN is a party for youths, students, workers and the poor masses.”

Bamgboye said the registration of the party was a victory for Nigerians and demonstration that a better Nigeria was possible.

He added that “a struggle for socialist transformation of Nigeria is something that is visible and possible if workers, students, the youths and the poor can unite for a better country.

“Some people thought it was not possible for youths, students and the poor to form a political party.

“When we started this journey in 2013, it was as if it would not be possible but today, we achieved victory.”

He said that the party’s core agenda was to defend and protect the socio-economic and political interest of workers and the poor.

He pledged that when voted into power, SPN would reverse anti-people policies of privatisation, commercialisation and deregulation, among others.

He added that the party was prepared to participate in the 2019 general elections “to test its political strength, then build on it to take over power.”