In line with its promise for the review of the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that “the present framework for the registration of political parties is inadequate to guarantee the registration of qualitative, membership driven and ideologically propelled political parties.”
To this end, the Commission has said it “would propose further alteration of the conditions for the de-registration of political parties saying the 4th alteration to the Constitution is inadequate to weed out dormant and commercial platforms with little or no visible structures and presence in any of the states of the federation.”
Speaking in Makurdi, Benue state at the review of the 2019 general elections on Saturday, national commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC) Festus Okoye said Nigerians must engage in root and branch review of the number of registered parties in Nigeria.
“The Nigerian people need Political Parties that can bid for political power and not mere commercial platforms for hire.”
Okoye who spoke on behalf of the INEC chairman said, “some of the political parties are mere platforms and have no concrete and visible presence in most states of the federation.”
On the problems they pose to the electorate at the polling units he said: “The presence of too many political parties on our ballot papers has in some instances confused some of out compatriots that are not well endowed in literacy. It has bloated the ballot papers and result sheets and trucking them to the polling units has become a logistics nightmare.”
The national commissioner stated that the Commission would “present alternatives to the Nigerian people including alteration of the constitutional regime that ties registration of political parties to visible, verifiable and concrete presence and structures in at least half of the states of the federation.”
On the management and conduct of Party Primaries, INEC said “the commission will propose constitutional alteration that aligns the resolution of pre-election issues and the activation of the issuance of certificates of return to the 21day rule in the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).
“In other words, lodging an appeal within 21days of obtaining an unfavorable judgment at the Court of first instance automatically stays the execution of the judgement and the issuance of a Certificate of Return pending the determination by the Court of Appeal and possibly the Supreme Court of the appeal.
“The 60-day timeline for the determination of appeals arising from pre-election matters is reasonable and rational and will prevent the present challenge of issuing and withdrawing and re-issuing Certificates of Return to candidates.
Okoye further said, “The Commission will also propose constitutional and legal alteration to the legal framework that makes for the disposal or determination of all pre-election matters before the conduct of elections.
“The 180 days allowed the Courts of first instance to determine pre-election matters dovetails into the conduct of elections. A 60-day time frame for the Court of first instance is adequate to accommodate some of the issues arising from party primaries and the management of political parties.
“The commission will engage the leadership of the judiciary relating to the territorial jurisdiction of the Federal High Court relating to the handling of pre-election matters. A situation where primaries are conducted in one state and all the suits relating to same are trucked to another state for determination is not healthy for our electoral process.
“The Commission will also engage the leadership of the judiciary relating to multiplicity of court orders on the same issues and by the same parties and from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
INEC also stated that it would “design, and test run a new framework for the monitoring of the primaries of political parties. The commission will henceforth tie the acceptance of the list of candidates of political parties emanating from party primaries to the authentication of the results of the outcome of the said primaries.
“In other words, the Commission will not accept the list of nominated candidates that are at variance with the clear intendment of section 87 of the Electoral Act.”
To stem the tide of what it called “Gorilla approach” to the conduct of party primaries which has no bearing and no foundation in section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended), the Commission said it supported the proposition “that any political party intending to conduct party primaries shall publish the in two national newspapers the date, the venue and the time for the conduct of the said primaries.”
On the logistics challenge and the need for a new approach, the INEC chairman urged officials of the commission “to realize that strict adherence to timelines is fundamental to the conduct of good elections.
He said, “late procurement, late delivery and late deployment of election logistics leads to bad elections and creates security challenges for the electoral management body and the Nigerian people. The Commission is a place for patriotism and selfless service. It is a place for national service. The moment the managers of election respond to the stimuli of mercantilist disposition, the electoral process is brought to grief.”
He further urged, “Electoral Officers, Collation Officers, Supervisory Presiding Officers and other managers of election must strive to have elementary knowledge of the electoral legal framework for the conduct of elections. Electoral Officers with little or no knowledge of the electoral legal framework for the conduct of elections are a danger to the electoral process.
“Movement of materials to the various centers must be scientifically and logically done. Being time sensitive and security sensitive, any misstep in the movement of personnel and materials has far reaching implications for the electoral process.
“We must evolve a new regime of hiring vehicles for the movement and reversal of personnel and materials. We cannot afford to make the same mistakes repeatedly. This review affords us the opportunity to celebrate our successes. It affords us the opportunity to learn from our challenges. It affords us the opportunity to understand our mistakes and failings and take remedial action in reversing them. To do this, we must be creative, innovative and communicate effectively.
On the issue of violence, INEC chairman said, “The votes of the people legitimately cast in an atmosphere devoid of violence and intimidation is the true expression of their sovereign right and preferences.
“Violence and other unwholesome practices undermine the electoral process and casts a huge shadow on the democratic credentials of the Nigerian people. The political elite must strive to imbibe the democratic spirit and have faith in the electoral process.”
