Don Backs INEC On De-Registration Of Parties

A political analyst and university teacher, Dr. Ken Nweke has declared support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (ONEC) on the de-registration of 74 political parties, saying the decision was in order.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had said the electoral body has the constitutional powers to do so, noting that most of the affected parties did not meet the requirements for continued existence.
Nweke while speaking with The Tide said the reduction of political parties from the initial number of more than 90 will enhance the political process in the country.
Nweke who is an associate professor of Political Science at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt also said many of the parties that were deregistered had no foundation in the country.
“If political parties are reduced for instance from the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that we have about five or so, this would guarantee some kind of stability in the political process in Nigeria.
“Rather than modelling after the United States of America that has multiplicity of political parties, in Nigeria usually, two parties dominate,” Nweke, who is a former Commissioner in the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), stated.
The university don also called for the amendment of the constitution to streamline party formations in the country.
Nweke said many of the deregistered political parties can’t even produce a counsellorship seat in a local government, let alone making impact in the respective states, describing it as ridiculous.
“The highest that has ever happened you may have three, four political parties having some states or controlling some states. But where you have over 92 political parties and almost 95 percent of the political parties that are registered do not control even one councillorship seat of a local government, “It is something that is ridiculous. It is something that is unbelievable. It is something that must be checked in order to advance the course of our democracy in this country.

Dennis Naku