The Independent National Electoral Commission will register more political parties before the 2015 general elections, the chairman of the =agency has said
Prof. Attahiru Jega, who during an interview Punch in Abuja on Friday, said some parties might be deregistered.
He also revealed that they there were eight applications by groups seeking registration as political parties.
“We will still register some parties. Currently, we have eight applications. Some will get it some will not. We may also deregister some parties if the occasion warrants before the 2015 elections,” Jega added
Jega, who did not dwell much on the issue, said by the “provisions of the law,” the electoral body had the power to degister political parties.
Section 78(7) (i) and (ii) of the Electoral Act, 2010. states that , “The commission shall have power to de-register political parties on the following grounds:
“(i) breach of any of the requirements for registration; and
“(ii) for failure to win a seat in the National or State Assembly election.”
There are currently 26 political parties in the country. The commission had on December 6, 2012 deregistered 28.
But on July 29, 2013, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court in Abuja voided the provisions of section 78(7)(ii) of the Electoral Act, 2010.
Jega however insisted on Friday that the law on deregistration of political parties remained as it was and that INEC would continue to enforce its provisions.
“That is the law. Until it changes, we will continue to enforce the provisions of the law,” he said,
On the deadline for party registration, Jega said the law did not make provision for it . But he assured that INEC was trying to bridge the gap administratively.
Jega said, “We are going to handle that administratively. We may have to put the deadline on the eve of primary elections. Since an applicant will not be able to field candidates for the elections, what’s the point of registering such a party?” [eap_ad_1] But the National Secretary of the National Conscience Party, Ayodele Akele, faulted Jega, saying the threat by INEC to deregister some parties was unfair.
NCP, founded by the late jurist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), had lost a suit it filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging the power of the commission to deregister parties. The matter is currently at the Court of Appeal.
Akele argued that it amounted to contradiction when the commission deregistered political parties with one hand and registered additional parties.
He said, “INEC should be told that deregistration of political parties should not warrant its attention. There are enormous tasks ahead of the commission, such as the distribution of the permanent voter card, over-monetisation of election in the country and lack of level playing ground for all political parties. These are issues INEC should focus on.
“If INEC fails to address the issue of distribution of the PVC and continuous voter registration exercise which the commission is handling shoddily, a lot of people will be disenfranchised in 2015.”
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