Lagos – Some prominent lawyers in Lagos on Thursday expressed mixed reactions to the court judgement which empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties in the country.

Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Lagos, had in the judgement delivered on Wednesday, held that INEC had the power to deregister political parties over non-performance in elections.

However, the lawyers who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, differed on the court’s decision.

Mr Onyekachi Ubani, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, said the court’s decision had no effect on the outcome of future elections in Nigeria.

Ubani said:”The problem of INEC and Nigeria is not weak parties, but how to organise transparent and credible elections for the country.

“I do not know how deregistering weak parties can guarantee that”.

He said the decision was appealable, adding that the parties should challenge it, even up to the Supreme Court.

Another lawyer, Mr Wale Ogunade, said the judgement was against the principle of democracy, which guaranteed freedom of association.

Ogunade, who is the President, Voters Awareness Initiative (VAI), a non-governmental organisation, said that people must be given the opportunity to express their political choices.

He said:”If a political party is weak and cannot contest for elections, it is not the responsibility of INEC to deregister such a party.

“For example, in the UK, the predominant parties are the Labour and Conservative parties. In United States of America, we have the Democrats and the Republicans.

“However, there are other smaller political parties in these countries. Some of them act as pressure groups and are very relevant to the polity”.

On his part, Mr West Idahosa told NAN that the judgement was a welcome development which would cement the nation’s democracy.

Idahosa, a lawyer and former member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Ovia North-East and South-West Constituency of Edo, said the decision was most suitable for the polity.

He said:”I agree that even though political parties are machines for the expression of the peoples’ will, they cannot operate without certain requirements.

“When the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi fought for the opening of the political space in Nigeria, it was not a bad fight.

“However, this fight has been taken over by political harlots who are only interested in forming political parties to collect grants from government and other foreign agencies”. (NAN)