INEC Breached Electoral Act By Deregistering 28 Political Parties – CNPP

The Conference of Nigeria Political Party,(CNPP), Enugu State Chapter, yesterday took a swipe at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the deletion of 28 political parties from its register, asking the nation’s electoral body to reverse its action or in the alternative de-register the 18 political parties among the surviving 29 parties that have no seat in the National or state Assemblys.

In a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary in the state, Hon Adonys Igwe and  Hon John Nwobodo respectively, the CNPP alleged that 18 of the remaining 29 political parties failed to win a seat in the National or state Assembly as stipulated in section 78(7) of the electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

The CNPP insisted that INEC was bias, saying though INEC has powers under the Electoral Act 2010 to de register political parties, “this power should be exercised in the context of what is politically expedient in the interest of our democracy”.

“We strongly condemn the selective judgment of INEC by de-registering 28 political parties and leaving out 29 others. Although INEC has powers under the electoral act 2010 to de-register political parties on two grounds only, (1) Breach of any of the requirements for registration, (11) failure to win a seat in the National or State Assembly election, We are aware that 18 of the remaining 29 political parties did not win a seat in the National or State Assembly as stipulated in section 78)7) of the electoral Act 2010.

“This is bias and double standard on the part of INEC. The desirability of the de-registration is another issue.INEC should have gone ahead to set the requirements instead of resorting to de-registration,” it stated.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman, Progressive Action Congress (PAC) one of the  political parties de-registered by INEC, Mr Charles Nwodo yesterday joined some of the affected parties to criticise the commission.

Nwodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said that the exercise was not done in line with the provisions of the country’s constitution.

`` We were quite aware that in the 60s, political parties were neither de-registered nor regimented for whatever reasons.

`` It is the fundamental right of Nigerians to form associations and that aspect is still in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ” he said.

He said that it was wrong for INEC to undermine the constitutional right of the people by adopting the 2010 amended Electoral Act.

Source: Leadership