By Luminous Jannamike
The Accord Party has rejected a court judgment said to have deregistered it and four other political parties, warning that Nigeria must not be allowed to drift towards a one-party state.
The party said it was challenging the ruling through the courts and expressed concern that recent developments in the political space could weaken the multiparty system that underpins democratic governance.
The position was stated by the Ogun State Chairman of the Accord Party, Hon. Rotimi Oke, during a telephone interview with Vanguard on Monday.
“We do not want a one-party state, and we believe political pluralism must be protected. That is our concern,” Oke said.
The party also disputed claims that it had ceased to exist as a political platform, maintaining that the judgment was neither final nor sufficient to halt its activities.
“They didn’t deregister our party. We believe the judgment is flawed. We have judgments and legal authorities that, in our view, support our position and contradict that decision,” Oke stated.
According to him, the party remains confident that the appellate process will determine the issues arising from the judgment.
“We have already obtained a stay of execution order, so that is not a problem. Everyone affected is appealing.
“We also have elected officials in government, so we are still trying to understand the full implications of the situation,” he added.
Beyond the legal challenge, Oke expressed concern about the difficulties confronting opposition parties and questioned the direction of the country’s democratic process.
“Look at ADC. Look at SDP. Look at NDC. They all have challenges. Why are these things happening? Only God will save us,” he said.
He also questioned the timing of the judgment, which came as political activities gathered momentum ahead of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign flag-off in Osun State.
“You can imagine the timing. Tomorrow is the kick-off of Governor Adeleke’s campaign, and then this kind of judgment comes out. This country is something else,” Oke remarked.
The Accord chieftain said he was speaking from Osogbo, where preparations were underway ahead of the political activities.
