- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said there are too many political parties in Nigeria
- According to the electoral commission, there are 68 registered political parties and over 100 political parties seeking registration
- It noted that there would be problems should any of these parties be omitted on the ballot papers in the forthcoming 2019 elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that the numerous political parties registered for the 2019 elections may cause problems for the country.
The commission said the number of political parties is growing in Nigeria.
Speaking at a retreat organised by the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in Abuja, the chief technical adviser to INEC chairman, Bolade Eyinla, said over 100 political associations are seeking registration.
Eyinla said the number might increase before the elections which could cause logistical problems, including the production of ballot papers.
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He also noted that if 68 parties participated in the elections, it could also mean that a total of 68 party agents would be at each polling unit, which could cause the elections to be rowdy.
Eyinla said: “Currently there are 68 registered political parties in Nigeria. As of today, there are more than 100 associations that have applied to INEC to register as political parties. This raises a number of questions which we want this retreat to address.
"We are also going to be challenged if these 68 political parties and counting continue this way. We are just a commission. I cannot begin to imagine even as the technical adviser, how we will divide ourselves to monitor party conventions and primaries of 68 political parties across the length and breadth of this country."
He added that the commission has already seen the challenges and are currently proposing strategies to deal with it.
Eyinla noted that should any political party be mistakenly omitted from the ballot paper, it could cause chaos at the polls.
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“I think perhaps one of the largest ballots that I have seen is that of Afghanistan where the ballot paper is nearly the size of a prayer mat.
“Given our level of literacy, I think that is going to be a major challenge and as we know, the question of exclusion is a major issue in the electoral process.
“The chairman was literally sleeping and waking with the ballot for Anambra state election to ensure that no party was excluded; to ensure that the names and logo of the parties were correct because any slip could nullify the election. So, I think there is a challenge with managing the ballot that will come with the increasing number of political parties," he said.
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that the Senate had vowed to confront the executive on the newly released order for the 2019 general elections.
The spokesperson for the Senate said lawmakers would push through for the amendments after the harmonisation of the versions passed by it and that of the House of Representatives.
The eight Assembly said it wants the Assembly elections to precede all other elections in the country.
INEC official at Abuja court on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng
