NUJ, others urge INEC to prune parties
With the conclusion of the 2011 general elections, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and other political stakeholders have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prune the number of political parties in Nigeria to grow the nation's democracy.
They spoke to reporters in separate interviews in Umuahia, Abia State Capital and Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital in the Southern part of Nigeria.
Electoral Act dictates
The call made was based on the premise that Section 78 (7i and ii) of the amended Electoral Act, 2010 empowers INEC to de-register political parties that fail to win a seat in an election.
The Act also empowers the commission to de-register parties which breached any of the registration requirements.
From Umuahia, the NUJ National Vice President (Zone `C’), Mr Ambrose Nwachukwu, called for the de-registration of political parties that failed to secure any seat in the just-concluded 2011 general elections.
“INEC should invoke the provisions of the Electoral Act and de-register these political parties. Sixty-three political parties are too many for our polity,” Nwachukwu said.
He attributed the large number of voided votes to the fact that many people did not know which party was contesting for what position.
He also said that geographical spread should no long be a factor in the registration of parties in Nigeria.
Nwachukwu noted that Most of the political parties which claim they had the spread and structure were not on ground.
According to him, the large number of parties encourages indiscipline as party discipline and steadfastness are often jettisoned because people can jump from one party to another without sanctions.
In a separate interview, the Chairman Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Abia, Mr Ifeanyi Onwuneme, supported the call for the pruning of political parties.
Onwuneme said that CLO would identify with any cause that would move the country forward.
“If we must check the indiscipline among the political class, INEC should invoke the laws and do the right thing,” he said.
Muzzling opposition
Also commenting, a lawyer, Mr Sidney Onyemere, claimed that the multiplicity of political parties was a ploy to muzzle the opposition.
“A regime that allows multiple registration of political parties does not mean well for Nigeria,’’ Onyemere said.
Onyemere said that it was unconstitutional to de-register any political party, noting that the provision of the Electoral Act cannot override the constitution.
He called for the enactment of a law to peg the number of political parties to four or five to grow the nation's democracy.
Similarly in Ebonyi, political stakeholders urged INEC to de-register political parties that performed poorly during the general elections.
The Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Mr Jerry Obasi, in Ebonyi, urged INEC to de-register the parties that failed to field presidential candidates in the last elections.
“The number of political parties in Nigeria should be reduced to the barest minimum to consolidate on the gains of the just-conducted elections,” Obasi said.
Mr Goddy Okafor, the NUJ chairman in Ebonyi, advised Nigerian politicians to put the interest of the nation’s democracy above personal interests.
Extorting government
“Most of these non-functional parties are formed for self-enriching purposes without any motive to contribute to the political development of the country.
“They depend entirely on the Federal Government for sustenance and do not bother to put the relevant political structures on ground,” Okafor said
NAN/Williams
|
