*DE-REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARITIES:*

*NASS TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.... HON. OKWUDILI EZENWANKWO*

The Honourable member representing Orumba North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Chief. Okwudili Ezenwanwko has assured Nigerians of the commitment of the National Assembly to strengthen the nations democratic process through progressive legislative enactment.

Speaking on the recent de-registration of 74 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the grounds that they failed to meet requirements for party registration.

*Hon. Dr. Okwudili Ezenwankwo stated that there is a big room for improvement in our electoral process as many of the teething problems of previous elections are still with us 20 years after the return to democracy and after six electoral cycles.*

*He identified the challenge of electoral violence, vote trading and logistics which has seen the electoral body postponing elections.*

He emphasized that enhancement of participation of marginalised groups like persons with disabilities,
electronic voting and electronic transmission of results; granting of voting rights to Nigerians in the Diaspora through Out-of-Country voting will receive serious urgent attention as the amendment of the electoral process begins in the 9th Parliament.

*He furthered assured that the National Assembly will articulate all the major electoral reform issues raised from the Justice Muhammadu Uwais electoral reform committee to Sheik Ahmed Lemu committee on post-election violence of 2011 to the 2014 National Conference report to the Senator Ken Nnamani presidential committee on electoral reform down to all major election observer reports with a view to ensuring that Nigeria's Democratic process is at par with democracy of other nations of the world.*

Recall, that the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, released names of the deregistered political parties as well as 18 parties which made the current list to include Action Alliance, African Action Congress, the African Democratic Congress, the All Progressives Congress, the All Progressive Grand Alliance and the Allied Peoples Movement,

Others are Labour Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, the National Rescue Movement, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Redemption Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Young Progressives Party, and the Zenith Labour Party.

*© Amb Timothy Nwachukwu writes from Awka, Anambra State*
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