Include “I Love Nigeria” Among Political Associations Eligible To Proceed To Application Stage, Federal High Court Directs INEC

<h4>Include &&num;8220&semi;I Love Nigeria&&num;8221&semi; Among Political Associations Eligible To Proceed To Application Stage<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court&comma; Abuja&comma; on Monday&comma; March 9&comma; delivered judgment in the suit filed by<strong> &&num;8220&semi;I Love Nigeria<&sol;strong>&&num;8221&semi; against the Independent National Electoral Commission over its exclusion after the Commission shortlisted 14 political associations last year to proceed to the application stage&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It will be recalled that 171 political associations had submitted letters of intent to register as political parties but INEC disqualified over 150 of the associations which included &&num;8220&semi;<strong>I Love Nigeria<&sol;strong>&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Peeved&comma; incensed and infuriated by the decision&comma; &&num;8220&semi;<strong>I Love Nigeria<&sol;strong>&&num;8221&semi; through its National Chairman&comma; Chief John Nwobodo and its National Secretary&comma; Aya Yakubu Ayiwulu&comma; sued the Independent National Electoral Commission&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The suit has now culminated into a judgment today&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Delivering the judgment&comma; the court granted a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from excluding &&num;8220&semi;<strong>I Love Nigeria<&sol;strong>&&num;8221&semi; from the registration process&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The court also directed INEC to include &&num;8220&semi;<strong>I Love Nigeria<&sol;strong>&&num;8221&semi; in the list of political associations eligible to proceed to the application stage&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The court set aside the decision of INEC that the name <strong>&&num;8220&semi;I Love Nigeria<&sol;strong>&&num;8221&semi; and its logo &lbrack;the mirror symbol&rsqb; are unsuitable for registration as a political party&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The court also granted a declaration that the name &&num;8220&semi;<strong>I Love Nigeria&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;strong> and the logo associated with it does not fall short of the criteria&sol;checklist prescribed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria&comma; 1999 &lpar;as amended&rpar;&comma; and the Electoral Act&comma; 2022&comma; and therefore suitable within the context of both the Constitutional and Statutory provisions&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;