The Nigerian Senate has said that
it would reduce the number of political parties participating in elections in
the country from the current 91 to five through legislation.
The upper chamber stated this on
Wednesday, October 9, at a meeting with the leadership of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by its chairman, Professor Mahmood
Yakubu.
The Senate further expressed
dissatisfaction over the huge number of political parties fielding candidates
in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
While speaking at the meeting,
former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu West), said the
number of political parties contesting the elections was a contravention of the
amended Electoral Act. He said that by virtue of the Electoral Act, political
parties, which failed to win a seat in the general elections should be
deregistered.
On his part, chairman of the
Senate committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC Kano South) said:
“Those parties that didn’t
perform shouldn’t be on the ballot. The existing electoral act as amended has
precluded the participation of parties that didn’t perform in the last
elections.
“We need to amend the act to
reduce the political parties to a maximum of five. This committee is really
committed to reducing the number of political parties to save taxpayers money.”
Responding, INEC chairman said
that the commission was in a dilemma to take decisive action to deregister
political parties as a result of pending electoral litigations which could
alter its judgement. “The commission had systematically deregistered many parties
under the electoral act. But the parties insisted that the electoral act is
inferior to the constitution,” Professor Yakubu told the senators.
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