The Independent National Electoral Commission has de-registered more than 124 political parties ahead of 2023 election.
As per an assertion from the Deputy Director, SERVICOM at INEC, Okuonghae Olayide, 101 political parties applied to be enlisted as parties since 2019 and December 2021.
Further to this, 23 additional political affiliations applied for enlistment between December 2021, and March 2022.
An Interim report by the commission additionally showed that as of March 25, 2022, an aggregate of 124 applications have been gotten and none up to this point has been given a nod of approval.
“As of March 2022, the commission had on record a sum of 124 letters of intent from different political parties trying to apply for enlistment as political parties.”
“The synopsis of the situation with the intending political groups is that 97 proposed parties out of 116 have been prompted that their proposed names, abbreviations or logos were not reasonable or accessible for enlistment.”
Talking on Friday, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, didn’t affirm assuming any new political group will be enlisted adding that the choice exclusively lies with the commission.
This implies that the main 18 political groups that endure INEC’s deregistration practice in 2020 will take part in the 2023 Elections. The 2023 General Elections Project Plan sent off by INEC in April additionally extends 18 political parties for the following year’s election.
A National Commissioner who remains anonymous said that INEC’s Timetable can not at present accomodate new political groups.
“I don’t think INEC is in that frame of mind to turn them down. The main thing is whether they will be on the voting form. Perhaps when they finish the interaction, it will be past the point of no return.”
“Assuming party primaries are over before they register as political parties, evidently they are out. Party primaries are to end on June 3.”, he added .
