……157 applicants fail to scale hurdle
……Meeting kick-starts process next week
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given the nod to the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) and 13 other associations to apply for registration as political parties.
Having crossed the first stage of the scrutiny, the associations, according to the electoral agency, will move to the next stage of assessment, based on the guidelines for registration.
The leaders of the 14 associations have been invited for a meeting with INEC officials on Wednesday, September 17th, thereby kick-starting the second stage of the process.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, said in a statement that the associations were cleared after meeting the requirements of the law.
He said at the second stage, their claims would be further verified before registration.
Olumekun said of 171 associations that approached INEC for registration with their letters of intent, 157 failed to meet the requirements.
The All Democratic Alliance (ADA) is believed to be the first platform floated by the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the coalition against ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Other associations that have pre-qualified to move to the next stage are African Transformation Party (ATP), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and Grassroots Initiative Alliance (GRIP).
The Green Future Party (GFP), Liberation Party’s Party (LPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), National Reform Party (NRP), Patriotic People’s Alliance (PPA) and People’s Freedom Party (PFP) also crossed the hurdle.
Olumekun said the commission will communicate its decision to all the parties in the next 24 hours.
The statement reads: “the commission held its regular meeting today, Thursday, September, 11. In addition to reviewing our preparations for forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and the end-of-tenure Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the meeting also considered the report of its Committee on the Review of Letters of Intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“A total of 171 requests for registration were received. Each request was assessed on the basis of its prima facie compliance with Section 222 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 2 (i and ii) of the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
“Of the total number of applications received, 14 associations have met the requirements to proceed to the next stage while 157 have not. The commission shall officially communicate the decision arising from today’s meeting to all the associations in the next 24 hours.
“The list of the 14 pre-qualified associations has been published on our website and other official platforms for public information.
“The interim chairmen and secretaries of the pre-qualified associations are invited to a briefing on Wednesday, September 17 at 11am at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“In addition to uploading the required information to the portal, the commission will verify all claims by each association in line with our Regulations and Guidelines.
“The final determination of their registration status as political parties will be made after verification of all their claims to determine compliance with the legal framework.
“We wish to reiterate that party registration is a continuous process under the law. The commission remains open to the consideration of applications that meet the criteria as provided by law.”
Currently, 18 political parties exist on the INEC list, underscoring the status of Nigeria as a multi-party state.
The battle for the registration of more parties was led by the legal luminary, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who got the court to make a pronouncement affirming the rights of Nigerians to form more parties.
Although ineffective or dormant parties were removed from the list in the past, following their inability to win the required number of electoral seats, agitation for the registration of more parties, in the exercise of their freedom of association and assembly, have not abated.
From three main parties in 1999, the number increased to 50 parties at a time, before it reduced to 18.
