The plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission to de-register political parties that failed to field candidates for the forthcoming poll has attracted remarks from various commentators. CHARLES ABAH writes on stakeholders’ concerns for the matter



The conclusion of the party primaries finally ended on January 31 with the submission of the list of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission. But five days after the exercise, the accompanying undercurrents are far from being over. Given that many discerning commentators are still talking about it, is a pointer to the weight that the exercise that lasted for more than one month carries with it.

In fact, stakeholders’ views on the exercise revolve from the sublime to the serious. It is either that INEC has recognised a faction against another or that the contestants and the political gladiators are seeking reconciliation or approaching the courts for one kind of injunction or the other. In states like Anambra, Oyo, Enugu, Plateau, Borno, to mention but a few, the controversy is on and every one is on the alert not wanting to be caught unawares. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State are, in the main, locked in a battle of wit.

For many other commentators, the outcome of the exercise together with the just concluded voter registration is one of the signals that the forthcoming poll will eventually come to be, in spite of the hiccups that resulted in the cancellation of the initial INEC timetable.

Put in another way, the conclusion of the primaries points to the fact that the electoral body under the superintendence of Prof. Attahiru Jega, is warming up to conducting another poll, the fourth major uninterrupted electoral poll in the country’s nascent democracy in the last 11 years. Indeed, the first was organised in 1999, while the second and the third were organised in 2003 and 2007.

However, beyond the stakeholders’ accusations and counter-accusations of imposition of candidates that have trailed the primaries, many analysts are by far more worried about the fate of the many political parties in the land. Curiously, available information show that of the 63 political parties in the country, only 43 of them were able to meet the INEC deadline of fielding candidates for the April general elections.

Interestingly, the development has sent the tongues wagging and wondering about the fate of the 20 remaining political parties that did not put up any kind of representation to the electoral umpire in preparation for the coming poll. While INEC has made a tacit declaration that the end is imminent for the 20 parties, many analysts are questioning the rationale behind the planned de-registration.

In fact, the National Conscience Party Deputy National Chairman (South-West), Chief Amitolu Shittu vehemently opposed the idea, saying the action was against the constitution. The politician, who also cited a Supreme Court judgment, said the issue of party registration or otherwise should not be the exclusive preserve of the INEC.

Arguing that Nigerians should not be restricted in relation to political association, Shittu stated that the number of parties that operated in the country was far less than what was obtainable in India and the United States of America. Even in the US, he noted that there was provision for independent candidacy.

Beyond canvassing this argument, Shittu added a new twist to it, positing that the fresh scheming to de-list some weak parties was the handiwork of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party that had vowed to rule the country for 60 years.

Instead of allowing the PDP game plan to work, the NCP leader implored the opposition parties in the country to close ranks in order to ‘flush out the party,’ which he alleged, was suffocating other political parties in the country.

Nonetheless, the spokesman of the Afenifere Renewal Group, Yinka Odumakin, was very philosophical in reacting to the matter.

Odumakin who is now the spokesman of the Muhammadu Buhari/Tunde Bakare-led Congress for Progressive Change said, “I guess those parties were aware of what the electoral law says. Even when we may not agree with the provisions of the law, it is still a law.

“Political parties exist mainly to contest political offices in furtherance of their objectives and when they choose not to fulfill that obligation, the blame cannot go the electoral body. Again, this development has vindicated the position that water will find its level as far as the number of parties in the country is concerned.”

The former governor of Kaduna State and now a Peoples Redemption Party’s governorship candidate, Balarabe Musa, also toed Odumakin’s view, saying that de-registration was what the Electoral Act enunciated.

He, nonetheless, posited that the Act was contrary to the 1999 constitution that guarantees for the individual’s freedom to form political parties.

Musa, therefore, enjoined the leadership of INEC to be cautious in applying the provisions of the Electoral Act, warning that some of the parties might decide to drag the commission to court.

He said, “One of the parties can decide to take INEC to court to contest the de-registration exercise and I tell you if the party gets a favourable judgment, the pronouncement can, indeed, scuttle the forthcoming poll.”

But the Ogun State Chairman of the Action Congress Party of Nigeria, Alhaji Ola Bello, did not mince words in declaring his stand on the issue. “If de-registration is what the law says, for not being able to field any candidate for the various elective posts in the country, so be it,” he said with a touch of finality.

According to him, the essence of forming a political party is to be able to represent and satisfy the yearnings of a people and once this is lacking then, the party has no place in the society.

He added that political parties were no social organisations and if they did not meet the aspirations of the people, they would naturally fizzle out.



SOURCE: TODAY'S PUNCH

PLS anyone who knows the list of all the 63 political parties post it here! thanks!

All those moribund parties should go. In fact, we should return to two-party system, it seems to be the best for a multi-ethnic/religious country like ours.

they want to continue to receive allocation from inec but don't to be responsible!