The National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, has accused the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of allegedly misleading a Federal High Court in a suit seeking the deregistration of the party, demanding public apology as he maintained that his party remains dully registered.
Speaking at a press conference alongside members of the party’s National Working Committee on Thursday, Nwanyanwu insisted that the ZLP remains a legally recognised political party and has met all constitutional requirements for continued registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He explained that the suit challenging the party’s status was filed by what he described as an association of former legislators, who argued that the party failed to secure electoral victories and should therefore be deregistered.
According to him, the party initially avoided making public comments because the matter is still before the court, but decided to address the issue after the office of the Attorney General allegedly filed and circulated court documents claiming that the party did not win any election.
Nwanyanwu described the allegation as false and misleading, saying it could discourage prospective aspirants from joining the party ahead of future elections.
He maintained that under the Nigerian Constitution, a political party only needs to win at least one councillorship seat to remain registered.
“To say that Zenith Labour Party did not win any election is not true. We won councillorship seats and local government positions, and we have already tendered certificates of return before the court,” he said.
The ZLP chairman further claimed that INEC, in its response before the court, confirmed that the party won elective positions in previous elections, thereby contradicting the allegations against it.
He accused the office of the Attorney General of failing to carry out proper due diligence before making submissions in court and warned against attempts to intimidate or weaken opposition political parties through legal means.
Nwanyanwu urged Nigerians interested in contesting future elections to join the ZLP and obtain nomination forms, insisting that the party remains peaceful, stable and fully recognised under the law.
Commenting on the broader political environment, the elder statesman said it was premature for anyone to make definitive claims about which parties would appear on the ballot for forthcoming elections, noting that the electoral process remains ongoing until the close of substitution windows and final ballot arrangements.
“It is premature for anyone to make categorical claims about which parties will eventually appear on the ballot because the process is still ongoing,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as attempts by some public officials to undermine opposition parties through legal and political manoeuvres, insisting that allegations that opposition parties failed to meet constitutional thresholds were unfounded.
Nwanyanwu stressed that public institutions must operate based on facts, evidence and the rule of law rather than political considerations.
He further alleged that there were deliberate efforts to weaken alternative political platforms, including parties linked to opposition coalitions, warning that such actions could undermine democratic principles and political pluralism in the country.
The ZLP chairman expressed concern over what he described as misinformation and politically motivated narratives surrounding opposition parties and the ongoing electoral process.