Stakeholders Urge INEC To De-Register Political Parties

Political stakeholders in Ebonyi have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register political parties in the country which performed poorly during the last general elections.

Our correspondent reports that Section 78 (7i and ii) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (Amended) empowers INEC to deregister political parties that fail to win a seat in an election  requirements.

Mr Jerry Obasi, Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Ebonyi, said that INEC should deregister all the parties which did not field presidential candidates.

“The number of political parties in Nigeria should be reduced to the barest minimum to consolidate on the gains of just conducted elections in the country.

“A situation where only 20 political parties fielded presidential candidates in the last elections while others endorsed candidates from other parties, is not acceptable,” he said.

Chief Emerike Orji, Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in Ebonyi called for a return to the two-party system, which was practised during the aborted third republic.

“The performances of many of the political parties in the last elections show that they are merely occupying the political space in the country.

“They are also constituting unnecessary distractions to INEC, who would effectively manage the intricacies involved with lesser political parties during the conduct of elections,” he said. Reports say that the Act also empowers the commission to de-register parties which breached the registration procedure.

Mr Goddy Okafor, Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ebonyi, called on Nigerian politicians to put the interest of the nation’s democracy above personal interests.

“Most of these non-functional parties are formed for self-enriching purposes, without any motive to contribute to the political development of the country.

“They depend entirely on the federal government for sustenance and do not bother to put the relevant political structures on ground,” he said.