INEC SET TO DEREGISTER OVER 80 PARTIES
khaleb
Mar 18, 2019
Less than 10 political parties may survive being deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should the commission decide to run with the amended constitutional provision to deregister parties.
READ ALSO: Why El-Rufai Was Returned To ICPC Custody?
At least, 70 parties participated in the 2019 elections, an alteration on the 1999 constitution. However, section 225 of the constitution as amended empowers INEC deregister political parties on grounds of:
READ ALSO: EFCC Arraigns Woman for N349m Fraud
"a. breach of any of the requirements for registration
READ ALSO: ALLEGED FRAUD: Kogi PDP Chieftain Reveals Why EFCC Must Prosecute Yahaya Bello
"b. failure to win at least twenty-five percent of votes cast in-
READ ALSO: I Will Not Allow Criminality As President, Peter Obi Declares
one State of the Federation in a Presidential election; orone Local Government of the State in a Governorship election;
"c. failure to win at least-
READ ALSO: Wike Roars, Dares Ayu To Stop Ortom, Others | READ FULL
"i. one ward in the Chairmanship election
READ ALSO: Angry Kwara Youths Shut Ilorin-Kabba Road After Deadly Church Massacre Sparks Outrage
ÔÇØ ii. one seat in the National or State House of Assembly election; or
READ ALSO: Sowore's Miscalculation and the Need to beat a Wise Retreat
"iii. one seat in the Councillorship election.ÔÇØ
READ ALSO: Premier League, Football League and WSL suspended until April
Checks by TheCable showed that apart from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that have won seats since 2015, Young Progressive Party (YPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Action Alliance (AA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) are the only five other parties that may scale through the new requirement.
READ ALSO: Why Gernot Rohr was 'Sacked' As Super Eagles Coach
YPP won a senatorial seat in Anambra, PRP won two seats for house of representatives in Bauchi, AA also won two seats for house of representatives in Imo, APM one house of representatives seat in Ogun and SDP also got one seat for house of representatives in Ondo state.
In a statement, Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said it is clear that INEC has the power to deregister political parties that fail to meet the fresh constitutional prerequisites, and going by the results of the 2019 elections, the 91 registered political parties may have been reduced to less than 10 that may have scaled the constitutional hurdle.
Falana further argued that deregistration of political parties that fail to win elections is likely to limit the political space to the "so-called mainstream partiesÔÇØ that are not committed to any political philosophy or ideology.
READ ALSO: Why El-Rufai Was Returned To ICPC Custody?
He added that with respect to registered political parties, INEC must fully comply with section 225(2) of the constitution by sanctioning them if they fail to submit a detailed annual statement and analysis of their sources of funds and assets, as this would go a long way to check the monetisation and manipulation of the democratic process by political godfathers.
READ ALSO: EFCC Arraigns Woman for N349m Fraud
The Cable
Related Stories
REVEALED: How All Progressives Congress (APC) Played Into The Opposition Hands Ahead Of 2027 - Sumner Sambo Warns
I Will Not Allow Criminality As President, Peter Obi Declares
Why El-Rufai Was Returned To ICPC Custody?
Sowore's Miscalculation and the Need to beat a Wise Retreat
Tinubu Breaks Silence on Hardship, Inflation, Power Crisis - Vows Nigeria Will Overcome Economic Storm
"Terrorists Have Outgunned Our TroopsÔÇØ - Ndume Raises Alarm Over Boko Haram War, Sends Urgent Message To Tinubu
""
— khaleb