The Punch today reports the registration of new political parties, with INEC keeping MRDD's application in view.

I may not be a great politics analysts (not an analyst at all) but isnt MRDD Atiku's party?

Analysts in the house, do you have something to say?

In case the articles goes off the web, i am "photocopying" it here:

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INEC registers new parties • Keeps MRDD’s application in view

Musikilu Mojeed

The Independent National Electoral Commission has registered two new political parties.

This brings to 32 the number of political parties in the country.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who confirmed the registration of the two parties in Abuja on Tuesday when the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, paid him a courtesy visit, also said the commission was in the process of registering two more parties.

Iwu said the two new parties were the Advanced Congress of Democrats and the Action Peoples Congress.

It was learnt that a former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Alex Anielo, is one of the facilitators of the ACD.

INEC, Iwu said, was still processing the registration of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy and the Pastor Chris Okotie-led FRESH.

He said the commission had also approved the change in the names of the National Mass Movement of Nigeria and the Party for Social Democracy.

The two groups are now to be known as the Action Alliance and the Labour Party.

Iwu, who disclosed that his commission also received some frivolous applications for registration, said INEC was prepared to register all groups that meet its requirements.

He added, “Political parties registration is not a number game. All we are interested in is the quality of the political parties themselves. We encourage groups to come together and formalise their existence.

“There is no truth whatsoever in the insinuation in some sections of the media that we do not want to register some parties. Why won’t we want to register them when we know that some parties would come together and form new ones? That is part of the system.”

He said INEC received MRDD’s application on Monday contrary to claims by some members of the group that the commission was reluctant in registering the association.

Earlier, Oshiomhole had charged Iwu to reposition INEC in the minds of Nigerians and the international community by conducting a free and fair election in 2007.

Arguing that a fraud-free poll was possible in the country if the electoral empire was committed to the task, the labour leader urged INEC to emulate the Palestinians who, despite being at war with Israel, were able to conduct a transparent election.

He promised that organised labour was ready to partner with the commission in the task of maintaining the sanctity of the ballot box and putting election riggers out of business.

On the controversial electronic voting system that INEC said it had endorsed for the 2007 polls, Oshiomhole said, “The challenge before Nigeria is to have an INEC leadership that appreciates that the electoral system must be transparent. What is important is for INEC to take measures to educate Nigerians on the difference between the electronic system and the manual system that we are used to and address the fears of Nigerians that the electronic system will lead to more efficient rigging.

“My position is that whatever system we are going to use will only work if the leadership of INEC is committed to free and fair elections. Nigerians are determined that election riggers must be put out of business. The method we use for the election is important. But even more important is the integrity of the process and the determination of INEC’s leadership to break with the past.”

The PUNCH, Wednesday, February 01, 2006
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