The Traditional Religious Practitioners’ Association (TRPA) in Nigeria led by Dibia Chukwuma Ezeoruonye and two others as the Trustees, has dragged the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to the Federal High Court in Enugu for their refusal to register the traditional worshippers as a religious body in its online application for registration to the CAC in June 2022.
The Commission in its reply to the TRPA on July 11 2022 said: “The CAC regrets to inform you that it was unable to approve any of the names(s) submitted for approval name not registrable as their forms of worship and practices are not publicly available.”
TRPA through their counsel, Obi K. Odo , contend that by the denial for registration, the CAC has discriminated against the plaintiffs on the ground of their religious worship, which is contrary to the provision of section 42 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“Other religious groups have been incorporated by the defendants but chose to deny us just because we are traditional worshippers; there is no other way to convince the defendants to go ahead and incorporate us as the Board of Trustee of the Association except by the intervention of this court,” the plaintiffs petitioned.
The Plaintiffs are seeking for a declaration that the CAC denial of approval is a breach of their right to freedom of religion/worship and discriminatory contrary to the 1999 constitution as amended,tThey therefore pleaded with the court for an order compelling the CAC to approve the registration.
