This thread would help Nigerian youths in knowing how we can form new party stronghold by gradually putting an end to age long gerontocracy.IN exercise of the powers conferred on it by the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1999 and the Electoral Act 2001, the
Independent National Electoral Commission, (in
these guidelines referred to as the Commission)
hereby issues the following guidelines for the
registration of political parties.

I. A political party for the purposes of these
guidelines is defined as an organisation of
registered voters that has qualified to participate
in an election by meeting all prescribed statutory
requirements.

II. An application by a political
association seeking
registration as a political party
(hereinafter referred to as "an
association" shall be addressed to the
Chairman of the Commission and
submitted to the Commission's
Headquarters not later than 4.p.m. on
the 180th day preceding the
commencement of the next general
elections (states and federal elections).

III. The application for registration as a
political
party shall be made on the
commission's Form PA1 in 20 copies and
shall be accompanied by the following
documents:

(a) The name of the proposed party

(b) The names, signatures and
residential address of
the chairman and secretary of the
association filing the application;

(c) Evidence of payment of the
prescribed fee of
N100,000 (one hundred thousand naira).

(d) Twenty copies of the association's
constitution
and manifesto. No Association by
whatever name called shall be registered
as a political party unless the association
submits to the chairman of the
commission in person not later than 4p.m
on the 150th day preceding the next
general elections the following
documents:

IV. The names, signatures, residential
addresses and
states the local council areas of origin
respectively of members of its national
and state executive committees and the
records of proceedings of the meeting
where these officers were elected.

V. The name or acronym of the
association must:

(e) not be the same as the name or
acronym of an
existing party or any organisation;

(f) not have any ethnic, religious,
professional or
other sectional connotation;

(g) not give the appearance that its
activities are confined to a part only of
Nigeria;

(h) not be couched in such a way as to
be capable of
misleading the voters.

(c ) A register showing that its
membership is open
to every citizen of Nigeria (who is a
registered voter)
irrespective of place of origin,
circumstances of birth,
ethnic group, sex or religion.

VI. A copy of the association's
constitution which
must be registered in the commission's
Form PAI and shall contain among other
things:

1. the association's aims and objectives,
name
symbol, emblem and motto;

2. provisions for periodic election or
democratic
basis of the principal officers and
members of the executive committees or
other governing bodies.

3. A provision that the members or other
governing bodies and administrative
personnel at the national level reflect the
federal character principle of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic;

4. A provision showing that its
constitution and
manifesto conform with the provisions of
the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act
2001 and these guidelines;

v. a provision relating to disciplinary
procedure of the association stating
clearly the method of expelling an
ordinary member, party official, political
office holder including persons elected
into public office on the platform of the
association;

vi a provision relating to the method of
amendment or alteration of the
constitution and

vii a provision stating that the national
headquarters of the association is situate
in the Federal Capital Territory.

e. Names, signatures, thumbprints, dates
of joining, residential addresses of
registered voters in at least 24 states of
the federation and FCT who are
members of the association and do not
belong to any other political party or any
other political association

f. An affidavit sworn to by the chairman
or secretary of the association to the
effect that no member of the association
is a member of any other existing party
or political association.

g. A bank statement indicating the bank
account into which all income of the
proposed political association has been
paid and shall continue to be paid and
from which all expenses are paid and
shall be paid.

h. The address of its headquarters at
Abuja and the addresses of its offices,
list of its staff, list of its operational
equipment and furniture in at lest 24
states of the federation.

VII. Evidence of ownership or rental of
such office.

5. The symbol of the association must
not portray any of the following:

(i) Coat of Arms of the Federation;is
(j) Coat of Arms of any other country;
(k) Any device or emblem which
normally associated with any of the
following:

5. any official acts of government or
armed forces
of the federation or Nigeria Police force
or other uniformed service; or

6. any tribe or ethnic group; or

7. any religion or cult

(l) Any portrait of a person living or dead

(m) Any symbol or part of a symbol
which has been
registered by another political party in
Nigeria or political association or any
public organisation

6. A person shall not be eligible to be
registered as a member of political
association seeking to be registered as a
political party if he/she:
VIII. has not attained the age of 18
years;

IX. has not registered as a voter in the
area where
he/she intends to vote during the
elections
X. is a traditional ruler

XI. is a member of the public service of
the federation or of a state as defined by
the Constitution

XII. is a member of the armed forces of
the federation
or of the Nigeria Police Force or security
and paramilitary organs of the
government and

XIII. membership shall be in personal
capacity not
by reason of being a member of youth
club, wing, or vanguard or any
association seeking registration.

7. After the last date, the submission of
applications by associations wishing to
be registered as political parties, the
commission shall consider all the
applications received and verify the
claims of the association.

8. The commission in verifying the
claims shall among other things:
a. display the list of the names on the
application
and membership of the political
association as contained in the
documents submitted to the commission,
in every state and LGA of the federation
for seven (7) days for public scrutiny and
objections.

b. Check the names on the application
to ensure
that they are registered voters;

c. Check whether the membership
contravenes
any of the provisions of paragraph 6 of
these guidelines;

d. Ascertain whether:
*the association has offices in 24 states
of the federation and in the Federal
Capital Territory as required by
paragraph 4 of these guidelines;
*the Constitution and manifesto of the
association comply with the provisions of
the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2001
and these guidelines;
*the composition of members of its
executive
committees and administrative personnel
take into account the federal character
principle of the federation and peculiarity
and diversity of the people;
*the name, acronym, motto and symbol
do not
offend the provisions of the constitution,
the Electoral Act 2001 and these
guidelines;
*the association is structured and
committed to
the principles of democracy, secularism
and other social objectives as spelt out
in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

(1) Where the commission is satisfied
that an association has fulfilled all the
conditions prescribed for registration by
the constitution, the Electoral Act and
these guidelines, the commission shall
register such an association as a political
party by issuing it with a Certificate of
Registration duly signed by the Chairman
of the commission.

2) If the commission is not satisfied
that an association
has fulfilled all the conditions prescribed
for registration, it shall not register such
an association as a political party and
shall notify it accordingly.

3) In notifying the association, the
commission must
state in writing the grounds for its
refusal.

4) Any false declaration shall result in
registration of the association.

10. (1) A newly registered political partynon-
shall in the first place participate only in
the local Government Elections.

(2) The newly registered political party
shall thereafter participate in the State
and National Elections if, and only if, it
scores ten per cent of the seats during
the LGA elections in each of, not less
than 24 states of the federation including
Abuja.

(3)Where the newly registered political
party fails
to score 10 per cent of the seats during
the local government elections as
envisaged by paragraph, 10(2) of these
guidelines, the political party shall
continue to operate only at local
government level in all subsequent
elections as envisaged by paragraph

10(1) until such a time it complies with
the provisions of paragraph 10(2) of
these guidelines.

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