Politics
By Diana Omueza,
IN 2020, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deregistered 74 out of the then 92 political parties.
The country’s electoral body attributed the deregistration to what it called poor performances of the affected political parties in the 2019 general elections and the court-ordered rerun elections arising from litigations.
According to the commission, the 74 political parties did not satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
The development then brought the total number of political parties that participated in subsequent elections in the country to 18.
While some political analysts commended INEC for the deregistration, others believe that Nigeria needs more political parties, especially as the country inches closer to the 2027 general elections.
According to those in support, the deregistration argued that it will eliminate long ballot papers, difficulties in locating preferred candidates, cumbersome voting process and sometimes, mistakes in voting due to similar logos and acronyms.
They also said that some of the political parties were only formed for personal aggrandisement and not necessarily in the interest of the electorate.
However, to the analysts who were opposed to the deregistration of political parties, virile opposition is vital for democratic sustenance.
This, they said, would serve as a necessary check on the government in power, while ensuring that diverse voices are heard within the polity.
The analysts opined that opposition parties played crucial roles in advocating for policy changes, addressing governance issues and mobilising public sentiment against possible government’s excesses.
Mr Felix Oluwatobi, a political analyst, says that the number of political parties is not the real challenge confronting the country’s polity, but the greed and corruption of some of the political actors.
“We run a multi-party system in Nigeria. So technically, even if 10,000 groups want to register political parties, as long as they meet the laid-down criteria, nothing should stop their registration.
The National Secretary of Action Alliance (AA), Mr James Vernimbe, said for Nigeria’s democracy to survive, the registered parties must operate on strong ideological foundations that reflect the interest of everyone.
According to him, if INEC sustains its verification and compliance assessment of political parties annually to monitor operations and compliance with statutory requirements, political parties will be upright in their dealings.
“INEC has conducted its verification of AA for 2024 and the party is satisfied with the verification process because it confirmed and authenticated the party’s current leadership as legitimate.
“The process is also a veritable tool for the existence of all political parties and AA remains open to all types of verification by the commission,” he said.
Vernimbe urged INEC to register political groups that meet the requirements and ensure that it carries out its annual verification exercise to affirm their compliance with the statutory requirements.
Mr Joe Igbokwe, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, said that some parties were only registered for the purpose of participating in state or local government elections, and not necessarily as national parties.
“That is how democracy evolved in the West. We should not be confined to only two political parties,” Igbokwe said.
This is borne out of the recent clamours for registration of 25 new political parties, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this in Abuja while speaking at the Public Presentation of the ‘NEEDS Assessment of Political Parties in Nigeria’, said the high number of applications was a demonstration of the fact that party system was working in Nigeria.
The implication of the above disclosure by the INEC chairman, according to political analysts, is that if the various political groups meet the criteria and are registered as political parties, it will bring the total number of political parties to participate in the 2027 general elections to 43.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, however, called for repositioning of political parties for transparency and accountability.
Akpabio also said that the repositioning of the political parties would help in restoring public trust and confidence.
“We have witnessed the emergence and growth of diverse political parties, each representing the aspirations and dreams of different segments of our society.
“These parties have not only provided platforms for citizens to participate in the democratic process but they have also played vital roles in shaping our nation’s policies and governance structures,” he said.
If founded on the true and genuine basis for registration, the political parties may, however, offer the electorate multiple choices during elections and provide robust opposition to further consolidate the country’s democracy. (NANFeatures)
31st December, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: INEC
