INEC Blames Emergence Of Many Parties On Disaffection

The Acting Chairman, Independent National Election Commission, Mr. Solomon Soyebi says disaffection and dissatisfaction among party members is responsible for the emergence of many parties in Nigeria.

Soyebi stated this at a public hearing on electoral reform organised by the Senate Committees on Constitution Review and INEC.

The INEC acting chairman who stressed the need for internal democracy within the parties said:  “We are going to be dealing with 60 political parties for the 2011 elections. “There are 57 parties presently and we are going to register three more parties which have met the requirement for registration.’’

Soyebi, however, did not name the associations seeking registration, but said  the amendment to the 2006 Electoral Act was coming after four years and with little time left for the 2011 elections.

Soyebi also said the Voters Register was undergoing harmonisation, adding that more than 97,000 centres currently had electronic register.

“We are going to display the Voters Register in every polling unit of the country,’’ he said.