PDP Chieftain Wants More Parties De-Registered

Mr Godwin Ezeemo, a front-line politician, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register more political parties to further sanitise the nation’s electoral process.
Ezeemo, who is a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), made the call in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Awka, Anambra State.
He said that de-registration of 74 political parties by INEC was a good move in the right direction.
According to him, the move would strengthen the nation’s democratic process.
Ezeemo said that the de-registered political parties had failed to meet their obligations and lacked the ability to win elections.
Ezeemo urged INEC to further de-register other political parties that lacked the ability to win elections or even maintain the structure of a party, as a way to curb electoral violence.
Ezeemo said that if the political parties are pruned to sizeable number, it would give room for improvement in the country’s electoral process, adding that Nigeria is still battling with problems of previous elections.
“Twenty years after the return to democratic rule and after six electoral cycles, political violence seems to be more due to many political parties that led to uncontrollable situations,’’ he said.
The PDP chieftain attributed the political impasse in the country to many parties that have no manifesto, but only helped to enhance electoral violence and vote-buying among others.
The PDP chieftain urged INEC to implement reforms in the electoral process as recommended by the Justice Muhammadu Uwais electoral reform committee and Sheik Ahmed Lemu committee on post-election violence of 2011.
He said that the 2014 National Conference report and other electoral reforms, as well as all major election observer reports, should be reconsidered for Nigeria’s democratic process to be at par with other democratic nations of the world.