The Tinubu-Kashim Coalition in the U.S. has called on political parties to accept the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent declaration that all diaspora chapters of Nigerian political parties are illegal.
The group’s convener, Adeola Alakija-Awogbemi, addressed the matter in an interview on Sunday in Abuja, following INEC’s clarification. INEC stated that no provision in Nigerian law supports the establishment of diaspora chapters for political parties, citing sections of the Constitution and the Electoral Act that render such entities unlawful.
Alakija-Awogbemi urged political parties to amend their constitutions to comply with INEC’s decision, noting that parties registered in Nigeria are now prohibited from receiving funds or support from their diaspora chapters. She emphasized that party leaders must act swiftly to align with the law, stating, “The Constitution is supreme, and we must abide by it as patriotic citizens.”
She also confirmed that as a member of the APC in the U.S., her group has suspended all party activities abroad, in accordance with INEC’s directive, and called on other political parties to do the same.
