KOWA party advocates legislation for political party registration

Tue, Feb 20, 2018 | By publisher


Politics

THE KOWA Party has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to approach the National Assembly for legislation for political party registration.

Mark Adebayo, the National Secretary of KOWA, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that it was unrealistic for INEC to continue to register more parties on daily basis. According to him, I do not think we should have more than 10 political parties in this country.

“We in KOWA strongly think that INEC cannot continue registering political parties; asides the fact that it is too expensive for the commission to go round the 36 states and FCT to monitor party congresses, it is unrealistic to have 52 political parties.

“Also, about 100 have so far applied for registration, we cannot continue like this. There has to be a way to limit the number of political parties in the country.

“There is urgent need for INEC to approach the National Assembly, there has to be legislation on the present number of political parties that we have,’’ Adebayo said.

The scribe said that proliferation of political parties was the reason manifestoes of almost all the parties were alike saying it has become just a `written verbatim’.

He urged INEC to set minimum standards for registration of political parties disagreeing with a situation whereby political parties met requirements of law, gets registered and go home to sleep.

“Political realities are different from freedom of association; your freedom of association should not lead you to having parties that you will not be able to monitor or sustain.

“You are free to associate, but every family or street does not need to form a political party. It will destroy our democracy,’’ he said.

The KOWA scribe however, suggested the need for INEC to introduce a pamphlet that would carry names of all registered political parties instead of going to print a long ballot paper that could lead to voter apathy.

According to him, there has to be a way for people to spend the barest minimum time at the polling booth.

NAN reports that there are 68 registered political parties in Nigeria at present. More associations have applied to INEC to be registered as political parties. (NAN)

– Feb.  20, 2018 @ 11:30 GMT |

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