A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Wole Oke on Monday emphasized the need for the nation’s electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take decisive actions against ‘ineffective’ political parties in the country, noting that the political parties in question have been known for constituting a bit of a nuisance after the conclusion of elections.
The ‘ineffective’ political parties, he noted, usually wait until after the elections have been concluded to suddenly become active by rushing to file petitions which would then serve as a platform and an opportunity to demand money from candidates who have been declared winners.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Oke, who is the Chairman of Committee on Foreign Affairs, said this in a position paper titled ‘Strengthening INEC’s Regulatory Role Over Political Parties to Safeguard Democratic Integrity’ which was released in Abuja on Monday.
Rep Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Osun State, submitted that political parties that are inactive, lack national spread, should be made to lose ‘official recognition’.
‘We have a myriads of examples where political parties that were dormant or passive during electioneering will be the first to file election petitions at the tribunals, hoping and banking that winners will come to request out-of-court settlements.
They then make huge monetary demands from such winners, who are desperate to avoid technical legal issues that may scuttle their victory’ he said.
Calling this ‘industry of political desperadoes’, Rep Oke warned that activities of such parties not only erode the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy but also clog the courts with frivolous litigations while noting that the current system allows such entities to ‘create legal chaos, confuse voters with overcrowded ballot papers, waste public resources, and damage public trust in electoral processes’.
Making reference to Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the federal lawmaker urged INEC to exercise its powers by making parties that fail to meet minimum constitutional requirements—such as fielding candidates or winning seats in elections lose official recognition.
‘INEC should urgently conduct a compliance and viability audit of all registered parties. This exercise should become routine and annual. Any political party that fails to pass the requirements should be made to lose official recognition.
Political parties that meet constitutional conditions for deregistration must be promptly removed from the register of political parties as part of routine mandatory compliance.
The National Assembly should also reinforce the doctrine of locus standi in our electoral jurisprudence’ he added- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
