A political group, the Democratic Network Initiative (DNI) has alleged that the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, could be behind the lawsuit seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and five other political parties ahead of 2027.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National Coordinator, Boniface Ekpeyong, the group expressed concern over what it described as “a tactical and legal manoeuvre” targeting the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Zenith Labour Party, Action Peoples Party and Labour Party.
The suit, filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), seeks the deregistration of the affected parties on grounds allegedly tied to compliance with constitutional and electoral requirements.
However, the DNI claimed that its suspicion stems from what it described as “established links between leaders of the NFFL and Gbajabiamila.
“Our concern is not merely about the legal argument being canvassed in court.
It is about the political undercurrents that appear to drive this action.
“The operational and leadership structure of the NFFL raise legitimate questions about whose interests are truly being advanced, especially, where majority of members of the NFFL are members of the broader Joint Task Parliamentary Group owned and sponsored by Rt.Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila”, Ekpenyong stated.
The statement continued, “The suspicion becomes more compelling when the Leadership of NFFL is headed by those best described as a ” Crack Team” in the Joint Task group, commonly referred to as ” Gbaja Boys” and headed by one and same Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe.
“Please, NFFL should reconsider its stand on this issue, ”Ekpeyong echoed.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Chairman of the NFFL Board of Trustees, Hon. Raphael Igbokwe, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages seeking clarification had not been returned.
