Court orders INEC to reinstate Access Party
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate the registration process of Access Party (A.P.) and issue the party with an Access Code to enable it complete its registration. A statement signed by Audu Bulama Bukarti on behalf of the party on Wednesday said the court […]
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate the registration process of Access Party (A.P.) and issue the party with an Access Code to enable it complete its registration.
A statement signed by Audu Bulama Bukarti on behalf of the party on Wednesday said the court ruled that the electoral body acted unlawfully when it discontinued the process over an alleged logo unsuitability.
Recall that Access Party had lodged its intent to register as a political party with INEC on 23rd December 2024, but after months of correspondence and public acknowledgment by INEC of the party’s pending application, the electoral body discontinued the registration process on the grounds that the party’s proposed logo, a detailed head of an animated eagle with “Access Party” inscribed across it, was unsuitable and similar to that of the Democratic Leadership Party (DLP), an unregistered political association.
The plaintiffs challenged the decision in court, arguing that the two logos were clearly distinct.
They argued that the commission had no lawful basis to rely on the logo of an unregistered association to block a registration that was otherwise compliant with the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.
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However, Hon. Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of Court 11 of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, delivered the landmark judgment on Wednesday in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2096/2025, between Dr. Audu Bulama Bukarti and Mr. Mevon Samuel suing for themselves and on behalf of all members of Access Party against INEC and the DLP.
The court granted all the principal reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
In a statement, Access Party said the court declared that INEC’s letter of 12th September 2025 was ultra vires, unlawful, and inconsistent with Sections 40, 222 and 224 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Section 79 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The statement reads, “The court further declared that Access Party’s proposed logo is distinct, suitable and fully compliant with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions, and does not contravene any legal requirements for registration as a political party.
“In a significant finding on administrative fairness, the court held that INEC’s reliance on the logo of the DLP an unregistered association as a basis for discontinuing the plaintiffs’ registration was arbitrary, unreasonable, and a violation of the principles of natural justice.
“The court accordingly quashed INEC’s letter of 12th September 2025 as null, void and ultra vires.
“Critically, the court ordered INEC to reinstate the registration process of Access Party and to issue the requisite Access Code to enable the party to download, fill and submit Form EC 15A(1) along with accompanying documents, including its Constitution, Manifesto, membership register and minutes of the meeting for the election of its National Executive Committee (NEC).”
The statement added that the court awarded N500,000.00 against INEC.
Reacting to the development, Bukarti, the first plaintiff in the suit, hailed the judgment as a triumph for Nigeria’s democracy.
He said, “Today’s judgment is a victory not just for Access Party, but for every Nigerian who believes that the right to form and belong to a political party is a fundamental constitutional right that cannot be arbitrarily extinguished by any government agency.
“INEC is a creation of the Constitution and must operate within its boundaries. The court has affirmed that no bureaucratic irregularity can be used as a tool to suppress political participation. We are gratified, and we look forward to taking our place in Nigeria’s political arena.”