By Dayo Johnson

A Federal High Court sitting in Akure, yesterday, granted a legal practitioner, Mr Femi Emodamori, leave to apply for an Order of Mandamus to compel INEC to publish the 2021 and 2022 Audited Financial Statements of all registered political parties in Nigeria, as well as separate Audited 2023 election-related incomes and expenses of all the parties.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party, LP, are among the registered parties in the country.

Ruling on Emodamori’s motion for leave to apply, Justice T. B. Adegoke, held that the lawyer has sufficiently disclosed that INEC has a public duty under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and 2022 Electoral Act, to publish the audited accounts of the registered political parties.

Adegoke held that he has sufficiently shown that INEC has a public duty to publish the audited accounts of the parties.

The Court also held that Emodamori has disclosed a sufficient legal interest in having the Audited accounts of the parties published.

Consequently, the Court granted the motion for leave and adjourned the substantive suit against INEC till November 8, 2023, for a hearing.