INEC’s Plot to De-Register More Political Parties - NCP Raises Alarm

Gani Fawehinmi

The National Conscience Party (NCP), founded by the late human rights lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, has voiced concerns that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was plotting with the National Assembly to de-register more political parties in order to suit the interests of those already in power.
In a state-of-the-nation address to the press yesterday, the party’s national chairman, Yunusa Tanko, alleged that INEC was requesting the powers from the National Assembly to reduce the number of political parties in existence. The party condemned a move by INEC to acquire the power to disqualify candidates, adding that disqualifications should be left to political parties. Mr. Tanko advised INEC to focus on addressing rigging and other electoral problems.
Earlier this year, the NCP had filed a court case to stop INEC’s moves to de-register political parties.
The NCP also criticized INEC’s decision to uphold a law that allows office holders to defect after an election. The party asserted that, once a candidate obtains a mandate on a political platform, it is dangerous to allow that candidate to trade that mandate at will. The NCP describe the practice as inimical to a viable democracy.
According to the NCP chairman, partisan defections cause the loss of internal discipline and result in arbitrary behavior by officials, especially those who are already in public offices.
Mr. Tanko condemned INEC’s search for enabling legislation to be able to de-register parties, saying that the measure would serve the interests of the parties currently in power.The chairman cited Kenya and Benin Republic as examples of countries with a much smaller population than Nigeria, yet with more political parties.
“Nigeria has only 25 political parties with over 171 million people while Kenya has 59 political parties with far less population, and also Benin Republic has only 9 million people with more than 100 political parties,” said Mr. Tanko.
On former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s now famous public letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Tanko stated that the message in the letter was more important at this time than the messenger. The NCP chairman condemned the alleged training of snipers by President Jonathan to silence opposition elements, adding, however, that he did not excuse Mr. Obasanjo of culpability in the same offence during his tenure.
Reacting to the exodus of key PDP members into the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Tanko said it confirmed that some parties exist out of sheer interest to stay in power and be in charge of the nation’s resources, without having any ideological identity.  
“NCP remains the only political party that cares for the masses and has a genuine manifesto,” Mr. Tanko asserted. He denied that the NCP had any intention or plan to merge with other parties. Rather, he clarified that NCP may consider alliances with some parties that share similar ideologies.
“A merger means parties will lose their individual certificates and come under one certificate, but alliance means we can come together to achieve certain programs together without losing our partisan certificate to the arrangement,” he explained.

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