inec set to register new political parties in nigeria

INEC Set To Register New
Political Parties
THE Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has
said that it will soon release its
decision on the applications
received from associations that
applied for registration as
political parties in the country.
INEC's Director of Publicity and
Voter Education, Mr. Oluwole
Osaze-Uzzi yesterday in Abuja
said in an interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
that the commission was already
processing the applications. INEC
had recently said that more
than 60 political associations
submitted applications to the
commission seeking to be
registered as political parties in
the country.
According to Osaze-Uzzi, the
commission has no option than to
register any association that
meets the criteria provided by
the law and the Electoral Act.
"The applications are being
processed. Some of the
applications have challenges and
we have drawn the attention of
the groups that submitted them.
"Some of the associations have
also come to make enquiries on
their filed applications.
"Those who meet the threshold
for registration would be
registered within the next one
month, while those who did not
meet the criteria would not be
registered,'' he said.
On whether all the associations
that applied for registration met
the requirements and how the
commission would be able to
manage high number of
registered political parties by
the 2019 general elections,
Osaze-Uzzi said INEC would act
within the law.
"We will act within the laws
establishing INEC in regulating
them.
"If all of the associations meet
the requirements, we are bound
to register them, in which case
we are also bound to manage
and regulate all the registered
political parties.''
He said the implication was that
INEC would need to deploy more
resources in terms of finance
and personnel among others, to
manage the conventions,
congresses and expenditure of
registered parties.
"We have no choice than to
exercise our responsibility.''
On the proposed mega party,
Osaze-Uzzi, however, declined
comments, adding that he was
not aware if some of the
applications had mega in their
proposed names (NAN)