NCP is technically and legally in existence, says Omoragbon.
By Cyriakus Nnaji
Deputy National Chairman (South-South) of the National Conscience Party (NCP) Pastor Peters Osawaru Omoragbon, has stated that his party, the NCP, is technically and legally in existence.
Omoragbon took the stance weekend in a press release titled: ‘National Conscience Party, Labour Party and Mallam (Dr) Yunusa Salisu Tanko-Which Way Forward? (A Public Statement by Pastor Peters OMORAGBON on the current State of the National Conscience Party and the Labour Party).
The Edo born politician who is also a former Governorship Candidate of NCP in the state was reacting to the appointment of Mallam Yunusa Salisu Tanko as the Spokesman for Labour Party.
Mallam Tanko is the National Chairman of NCP.
Omoragbon maintained that it is illegal for Tanko to accept the appointment from Labour Party without first resigning his membership of NCP and his position as the Chairman of the party, he therefore called for his immediate resignation from the party.
“The members of the National Conscience Party (NCP) have waited patiently since October 16, 2022, for Mallam Tanko to formally relinquish his position as National Chairman of NCP and withdraw his membership in line with extant electoral laws and the constitution of the National Conscience Party to no avail, hence, my resort to formally put the Party on notice that, Mallam Yunusa Salisu Tanko cannot act as the NCP Chairman and the Spokesman for Labour Party at the same time,” he stated.
Further clarifying the status of the NCP and the need for Mallam Tanko to formally resign from the party Omoragbon said “There might be the argument that the NCP has been deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and as such, Mallam Tanko does not need to resign from a Party that is no longer in existence. That may be the thinking in some quarters, but the reality is the opposite. Why it is true that INEC deregistered the NCP along with 73 other political Parties in 2020, we challenged that decision at the Federal High Court in Lagos in 2020 May 7th, and judgement that would have been given in October 2020 was deliberately not entered into till July 22, 2022, after the Party petitioned the Chief Justice of the Federation.”
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He said that even though Justice Liman A.M. of the Federal High Court Lagos refused our prayers, the National Conscience Party went on appeal immediately to the Court of Appeal, Lagos with Appeal No: CA/LAG/CV1880/2022, SUIT NO: FHC/L/CS/544/2020 on September 1st, 2022.
He spoke on the implication of the appeal, “The implication of this is that until the final judgement is made by the Courts on this matter, the National Conscience Party is technically and legally in existence. Majority of the members of the Party have refused to join any other political party. We are reassured by the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human rights by our Rights and Freedom of Association. No government whether civilian or military can take that right away from any Nigerian.
“We are poised to fight this matter up to the Supreme Court if the need arises and as God granted us victory under the leadership of our sagacious Founder and Chairman, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, over the Guobadia led INEC on November 8, 2002, when the NCP was refused registration, He will grant us same victory again and again,” Omoragbon stated.
