APS Endorses De-Registration Of Parties

The African Political System ( APS ) has expressed satisfaction over the recent recommendation by the House of Representatives empowering INEC to deregister political parties that fail to win seats in the country.

Sir Lawrence Adedoyin, the National Chairman, made his views known in an interview newsmen in Abuja.

The House had on June 29 recommended that INEC should have power to deregister political parties if they breached any of the conditions for registration and failure to win a seat in the National or State Assembly elections.

The House also proffered proposals authorising INEC to register associations that must have mustered at least 10, 000 registered and verified members in at least two third of the states of the federation.

Adedoyin added: “We have no problem with the recommendations, because we have Secretariats and structures in all the 36 states of the federation.

“ l like the proposals because I believe the essence is to encourage political parties to be stronger, as a weak political party will not attract alliance with other parties.

“ I believe that when a party is strong other associations will want to be identified with it,’’ he added.

Adedoyin, however, urged INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega to do a thorough job by organising a free and fair election in 2011.

On the requirement that a political party must have 10,000, registered members in a state before being registered, Adedoyin said: “That figure is small, they should make that figure a condition in each local government.