Court orders INEC to let GRIP complete registration as political party

The court said INEC had illegally shut out GRIP from the party registration process.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to permit the Grassroot Initiative Party (GRIP) to complete its registration as a political party.

The judge, Binta Nyako, in a judgement, directed INEC to grant the association access to the registration portal for 27 days, starting from 26 March (Thursday) to complete the registration process.

Ms Nyako held that the commission acted against its own Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022, when it shut the portal three days after issuing an access code to the applicants and before the expiration of the 30-day period.

“I hereby order that the defendant (INEC) should open its portal for 27 days from today for the plaintiffs to complete its registration,” the judge ruled.

She also rejected INEC’s argument that the suit was incompetent and statute-barred for not being filed within 14 days of the portal’s closure.

The judge found that INEC failed to present evidence showing that it notified the plaintiffs about the closure of the portal. She said the commission’s failure to serve such communication, which is a required step, worked against its case.

GRIP, through its officials, had sued INEC for shutting its portal three days after issuing an access code meant to last 30 days.

In the suit, Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie and Mohammed Abas Kuti, filed the case as the representatives of members of the group.

The suit, filed on 24 December 2025 by their lawyer, Jideofor Ukachukwu, asked the court to determine whether INEC acted lawfully by closing the portal before the 30-day period expired, despite payment of the required N2 million administrative fee.

The plaintiffs argued that the 30-day window formed part of the access conditions issued by INEC and was backed by the commission’s guidelines and its User Guide for the Political Party Registration Portal.

They asked the court to declare the closure of the portal on 19 October 2025 unlawful, noting that they still had 27 days left to complete the upload of required documents.

They also sought orders compelling INEC to reopen the portal and allow them to complete the registration process, as well as extend the time for meeting any requirements tied to the registration.

Meanwhile, the court dismissed two separate suits filed by the Green Future Party (GFP) and the Liberation People’s Party (LPP) against INEC.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2791/2025.and filed by GFP’s lawyer, Kingdom Okere, the judge held that the applicants failed to meet constitutional requirements for party registration.

In another suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/46/2026, the judge said although LPP’s access code remained valid when the portal was shut, the party undermined its own case and was not entitled to the to the prayers sought.