INEC, victim not villain in political parties’ registration- Analyst

A Professor of Political Science at the National Open University of Nigeria, Femi Otubanjo, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be considered a victim rather than a villain in the act of registration of political parties.

Reacting to the registration of 91 political parties by INEC, Professor Otubanjo who said the number was unnecessary for a developing nation like Nigeria, argued that INEC’s hands are tied by the Constitution.

Recall that INEC on Aug. 16, issued certificates to 23 newly registered political parties, raising the number of registered parties in Nigeria to 91.

Earlier, Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had explained that the commission would continue to register any association that meet the legal requirements for registration as political party ahead of 2019 general elections.

Otubanjo said it would be cumbersome dealing with over 90 political parties. “It will be more difficult work for INEC because it will not be easy to conduct an election with huge longish ballot paper in a largely illiterate country.

Contributing, a Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law, Akin Oyebode said the registration of too many parties is abysmal and called for a review of the Electoral Act to de-register or exclude political parties that have little or no following.

“In other systems that we know of, you may put a minimum that a party should score in an election to continue to be relevant as a political party. May be five or two per cent. Now, it is an all-comers game and when or where is it going to stop? We have to review our electoral laws to exclude parties that have little or no following.

Also, the 2nd Vice-President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Monday Ubani, told that having a longish ballot paper would create confusion for voters.

“And the law requires that all the political parties be listed in the ballot paper, I still wonder how they will enlist all the 91 parties without creating confusion for the voters.

Ubani said that INEC wants to justify their huge budget by registering more parties.

Also, another Professor of Political Science, Sunny Akpotor, said that opposition would be weakened due to the registration of too many parties by INEC.

Akpotor, who works in the Delta State University, Abraka, said that strong and proper opposition developed democracy and present options for citizen.