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Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, tacitly endorsed 22 deregistered political parties to conduct primaries for the November 6 Anambra State governorship election.

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National Chairman of People for Democratic Change (PDC), Igwe Benjamin, who led the national chairmen of the 22 political parties to headquarters of the commission in Abuja, said the endorsement of their requests to conduct primaries for the governorship poll translated to automatic re-elistment of their parties deregistered by the electoral umpire.

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Addressing newsmen, PDC chairman in statement through his aide, Abdulrasheed Mohammed, said: “We came here to submit our notice of primary for the November 6 governorship election and, happily, INEC has accepted our letters.

“The reason we came in group to submit the notice was that in the past eight months, we have been making attempts to serve INEC letter and to participate in the Ondo and Edo states’ governorship elections and other by-elections but the commission has always rebuffed us. Each time we come, they say we have been deregistered.

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“Meanwhile, we have an Appeal Court judgment which cannot be stayed. We are happy that today, either God has touched their hearts or that they have come to the realisation that you cannot just break the law because the consequences are there, they have accepted for us to participate in the Anambra State governorship election.”

Speaking on the implications of the submission of notices of primary to INEC, Igwe said it is a sign of endorsement and an acceptance of the court pronouncement that the parties have been restored to their status as registered political parties.”

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Similarly, the National Chairman, Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Sam Eke, frowned at the insinuations that the parties are not serious about contesting but to endorse other bigger parties in exchange for something.

Source: www.sunnewsonline.com