The Director, Election and Party Monitoring at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Aminu Idris, has assured that “having so many registered political parties is not a challenge to it or the electoral process of the country.” Idris gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja at the Debate jointly organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) on the theme: “Increasing number of political parties in Nigeria and access to ballot in 2019.” Idris said the parameters for registering a political party were determined by the Constitution, adding that INEC “is ensuring that the increasing number did not become a challenge in any election.”
“We addressed the challenge of managing ballot by customising the ballot papers with logo of participating parties in an election in such a way that you make the choice less cumbersome for the electorate. It is a matter of necessity that we must manage the ballot, given the number of political parties we have at all the times.” Speaking at the panel, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the challenge was weak political parties or those without grassroots base wanting to participate in every election, including presidential. “I don’t see anything wrong in registering many political parties.
The question is to discipline themselves and their level of participation.’’ Also speaking, the Deputy National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr. Emmanuel Agbo, linked the increasing number of political parties to the ambition of some individuals to be parties’ national leadera, saying there was need to enlighten political class that disagreement within parties should not lead to registration of new party. “The best way to defend democracy is to promote greater understanding among the political class.
There must be ability to tolerate one another, knowing that we are coming from different economic, political, cultural and social backgrounds but amalgamated into an organisation.” Another panelist, the National Chairman of the Progressives Peoples Party (PPA), Peter Ameh, stressed that where the problem “lies is the constant defection of officials from smaller political parties to bigger ones and the credibility of local government elections conducted by State Independent Electoral Commissions.”
“The only credible local government election in Nigeria is that of the FCT, conducted by INEC. Others, if APC is not winning all the elections in Kano state, PDP is winning all in Delta state.’’
Earlier, in her remarks, Programme Coordinator, Democracy and Accountability (OSIWA), Catherine Angai, said political parties were registered for different reasons, and must ensure its credibility. Meanwhile, the Chairman, Partner for Electoral Reform, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, stressed the need to regulate participation of a political party in an election, especially at the national level.
