“INEC should have a sense of history. KOWA party had a seat in a local government in Imo State but that seat was stolen by a former governor of the state when he sacked the legally elected chairmen in the state.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been described as an immature organisation that is only responsive to the powers that be.
KOWA party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2019 general elections, Sina Fagbenro- Bryon made the assertion while reacting to the recent de-registration of 74 political parties by INEC which affected his party.
In an exclusive interview with evereveryng, Fagbenro- Bryon said the decision for the de- registration by INEC was not well thought of, while questioning the commission’s procedures for registering groups that approach it to be made political parties.
He also described the INEC decision as ‘unconstitutional’ and detrimental to the progress of democracy in Nigeria.”INEC is an immature institution. It should have considered numerous factors before arriving at that unsavoury conclusion”.
While expressing his displeasure, Fagbenro- Bryon stressed that INEC has been unfair to his party.
“INEC should have a sense of history. KOWA party had a seat in a local government in Imo State but that seat was stolen by a former governor of the state when he sacked the legally elected chairmen in the state. Why then will you do this to a party that has won an elective seat, knowing that it was robbed of that same seat unconstitutionally?” Bryon said.
The Presidential candidate however agreed that there are too many parties in the country, but believed there could be a better way to correct the anomaly.
“I don’t believe that every party should be a national party. There are parties that should be at the state, or regional levels. Political parties should be registered after considering their ideologies and agendas, but unfortunately many do not have”. He added.
Earlier on Thursday, the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, declared the ruling APC; the main opposition, PDP; Action Alliance Congress (AAC), and 15 others as duly registered and recognised by the electoral body.
He also announced KOWA party, Alliance For Democracy (AD), Fresh Democratic Party (ADP), All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), and 70 other parties as deregistered.
Yakubu said the 74 political parties did not meet “the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitutional Electoral Act 2010A (as amended)”.
Many Nigerians had castigated the high number of political parties in Nigeria and their failure to make considerable impact in numerous elections. Advocates of the multiparty structure have, however, defended the high number of parties arguing that this strengthens the electoral process.
