Posted by By Jacob Edi, Abuja on
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tuesday announced the registration of two new political parties. It however, says it won't release timetable for 2007 elections now.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tuesday announced the registration of two new political parties. It however, says it won't release timetable for 2007 elections now.
The new parties are Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD) and Action Peoples Congress (APC). This brings to 32 the total number of registered political parties in existence.
Leksus Anielor, a former stalwart of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), is believed to be behind the APC, while Olakanmi Rasaq is one of those behind the APC. It is being speculated that Razaq is fronting for Atiku/Tinubu accord in case the Alliance for Democracy (AD) fails to pick its pieces before the 2007 polls.
INEC National Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, dropped this hint while receiving the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, who pay him a courtesy call. He hinted that the commission would not release the 2007 elections timetable until it meets with all the stakeholders.
Two other parties, Action Alliance (AA) and Labour Party (LP), according to Iwu, only changed their names. For the Labour Party (LP), he said they sought and got the approval of the NLC.
Iwu said INEC, Monday, received applications for registration from the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy, led by former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta and Reverend Chris Okotie's FRESH Party.
INEC, according to him, is prepared to register more parties if the applicants meet the constitutional requirements for party registration. He revealed however, that INEC had rejected some applications for registration from political associations.
The INEC chairman denied that the commission would not fund political parties in 2005. He explained that although the 2005 budget did not provide money for the political parties, INEC was expected to draw money from what was provided for its goods and services to give to political parties.
Responding, NLC President said concerted efforts should be made to ensure that the 2007 elections is neither rigged nor hijacked by anybody.
On electronic voting system (EVS), the NLC President emphasised that the challenge before INEC was not the system of voting but the transparency and integrity of INEC. This, he said, became necessary "because it is not a case of one system being rig-free and the other is not."