The electoral regulator axes seven political parties that did not win any seat in the recent elections in conformity with the Electoral Act. The action which aims to sanitise the electoral space is, however, shrouded in controversy. Has the electoral body overstepped its bounds?

By Dapo Akinrefon

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC last week de-registered seven political parties scaling down the number of registered political parties from an all time record of 63. The INEC move was believably a first step given the assertions of INEC officials in their commitment to reduce the number of political parties as provided for in the Electoral Act.

INEC national chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega explained the basis for the action.

“The Electoral Act has provided for INEC to deregister any political party that did not win any seat. We will do it at the right time; there is a lot of litigation in the tribunal. But by the time we say a party has been deregistered, it will be a solid ground that cannot be faulted”.

2011 poll fallout
Of the 63 political parties that participated during the 2011 general elections a vast majority failed to meet up to peoples’ expectation after the exercise.

They include Action Alliance (AA), Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Peoples Liberation Party (ALP), Action Party of Nigeria (APN), African Political System (APS), African Renaissance Party (ARP), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Community Party of Nigeria (CPN), Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Democratic Alternative (DA), Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH), Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Justice Party (JP), Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN), Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN),  Movement for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy (MRDD).

Others are Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Peoples Salvation Party (PSP), Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), United Democratic Party (UDP), United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP) and KOWA, National Action Council (NAC), Nigeria Party (NAP), Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP),  New Democrats (ND), National Democratic Party (NDP), Nigeria Elements Progressive Party (NEPP), National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Nigeria Peoples Congress (NPC), National Reformation Party (NRP), National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP), National Unity Party (NUP), Progressive Action Congress (PAC), Peoples Mandate Party (PMP) and Progressive People Alliance (PPA).

Aside, there is the general notion that many of the parties were established by their promoters following their inability to hold their own in the major parties.

Though there have been mixed reactions greeting this decision the commission explained that the action was in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Jega said that pursuant to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, INEC had de-registered the Democratic Alternative, National Democratic Council, National Action Council, Masses Movement of Nigeria, Nigerian People’s Congress, Nigerian Element Progressive Party and National Unity Party.

He said that a notification letter had been sent to the affected parties. Jega also announced that the certificates of registration, earlier issued to the affected parties, would be withdrawn. He added that this was the first phase of de-registration of non-active political parties, especially those that failed to win any seat at the April general elections.

He said that parties that had cases in court with regards to de-registration would not be affected until the cases were disposed of.

The Electoral Act 2010 as amended states that “any political party which contests elections and does not win any electoral seat shall be de_registered.”

According to INEC, the de-registered political parties did not field any candidate for the elections.

Reactions trail process
Already political parties have begun expressing their position on the deregistration exercise of seven political parties which failed to win any political seat in the April general elections.

National Chairman of the Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN), Chief Frank Ohwofa, said the action was not healthy for Nigeria’s democracy.

Ohwofa expressed displeasure over the move saying “the act of de-registering political parties is not in the good interest of a growing democracy like ours.

“Except we understand the concept behind registration of political parties, we will not get it right by delisting parties on the account of not fielding candidates.”

According to him, parties are not registered on the sole account of winning elections or fielding candidates in an election. “I have seen the de-registration as a mere distraction in governance.”

But the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) said the parties’ de-registration should not be seen as witch hunting if it was done in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Alhaji Buba Galadima, National Secretary of the party, said that “If the de-registration of some parties by INEC was done without bias, then we should see it as necessary.

I really do not have a problem with it so long it is done in accordance with the law”.
The parties are by reason of their de-registration, precluded from engaging in electoral activities, including but not limited to canvassing for seats in any electoral process.”

But observers of political event are of the view that aside these seven parties, the commission should further work towards ensuring that there is a further reduction in the number of political parties the country has.

Commenting on the proliferation of political parties in a recent interview, Vice Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC in the recent elections Pastor Tunde Bakare, had said:

“In any event and in any political or election season, you will see mergers and coming together of all these parties all the time. Except in 1993 to the best of my knowledge and all the rigging that have taken place in Nigeria, no political party has won hands down without cooperation from other parties. Even the PDP saw the opportunity for national government because they could not form a government without it.”

He opined “let the parties that are not performing strengthen their own base and do the best to ensure that the purpose for which they are established, they follow it to the letter just as we are doing in CPC.”

He was quick to, however, state that his party, the CPC is in the process of “renewing the party”, to emerge a viable opposition to the PDP.

In addition, he said “we are re-branding it to make it not just an opposition party, but a national party. We will not only have people that will espouse the things that we believe in because there is no going back in it. There is no opposition in Nigeria as far as I am concerned. What you call opposition parties today are all appendages or branches of PDP.”