Political analyst Jide Ojo has criticised the role played by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in the legal battle over the attempted deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
Ojo spoke during an interview on Trust TV after the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties.
According to Ojo, the case should not be viewed only from a legal angle because it also has political implications. He argued that the plaintiffs were not members of the political parties they wanted deregistered, while INEC is the constitutional body responsible for registering and regulating political parties. He also noted that INEC had deregistered 74 political parties in 2019 before the Constitution was amended.
Ojo said he respects Fagbemi but believes the Attorney General should have been more cautious because he serves as the government’s chief legal adviser. He argued that Fagbemi should have advised that the suit be withdrawn instead of supporting it.
Fagbemi, who was joined as a defendant in the suit, had backed the plaintiffs, arguing that retaining the affected political parties was inconsistent with the Constitution and weakened Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
In his words, “I have a lot of respect for Prince Lateef Fagbemi; he needs to watch his step, he needs to be very careful, because he’s the chief legal advisor to the government. He ought to have advised that such a suit be withdrawn, and he should never have participated in it.”
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