Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a human rights lawyer, Ejime Okolie, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and 19 political parties over imposition of outrageous expression of interest and nomination fees.

Okolie, suing for himself and on behalf of millions of Nigerian citizens desirous of participating in the electoral process, prayed Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to direct INEC to issue binding guidelines that will regulate reasonable maximum thresholds for the fees.

He also sought an order restraining the parties from fixing or enforcing any expression of interest (EOI) or nomination fees for the primaries of 2027 general elections that have the effect of excluding qualified Nigerian citizens from contesting in the polls.

Besides, he sought an order that the reliefs granted herein shall operate prospectively, for the protection of constitutional rights ahead of the elections.

He urged the court to declare that the fixation, imposition and enforcement of exorbitant fees for nomination forms by the parties prior to 2023 general elections, as a condition to contest in the primaries, excluded many qualified Nigerian citizens, including himself, from the contest.

Okolie said the act violated his fundamental rights to freedom of association guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He, therefore, urged the court to declare that the imposition of financial barriers which disproportionately exclude ordinary Nigerian citizens from political participation amounts to discrimination contrary to Section 42 of the constitution.

The lawyer, who listed 19 political parties including the All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, African Democratic Congress, ADC, among others, as 1st to 19th respondents, also joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, as 20th and 21st respondents in the fresh suit.

Justice Nyako has fixed February 12 for hearing.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has appointed former Cross River State governor and ex-presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Mr Donald Duke, as Chairman of its newly created Leadership Forum.

Duke, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was named to the position at an enlarged stakeholders’ and executive committee meeting of the party’s Cross River State chapter.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the state chairman, Dr John Ogar, described the Leadership Forum as the highest non-elective advisory body in the party.

The communiqué stated that the forum was considered imperative and would comprise respected members with proven leadership experience and integrity.

According to the party, the body is designed to provide strategic guidance and oversight to the ADC leadership across the state.

Stakeholders at the meeting unanimously endorsed Duke as chairman of the forum, with responsibility to provide oversight functions across the three senatorial districts.

Three other party elders were also appointed to oversee the districts: Chief Ray Ugba Morphy for the Northern Senatorial District, Chief Akin Ricketts, former chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, for the Central District, and Dr Effiong Nyong, a former ADC governorship candidate, for the Southern District.

The party resolved to intensify its membership drive, setting a target of registering at least one million voters ahead of the next general elections.

It also vowed to enforce internal discipline, warning that the party constitution would be applied to any member, regardless of status, found engaging in activities detrimental to the party’s growth.