by crossriverwatch admin
Former Cross River State governor, Mr. Donald Duke, yesterday supported the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the de-registration of unviable political parties.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that it did not make sense for parties which had no followers to remain registered.
Duke was reacting to the ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on July 30, which held that INEC had no constitutional powers to de-register political parties.
“If a political party does not have followership, just as companies are de-registered, such parties should be de-registered.
“There are situations where people use such parties to contest for election because they lost primaries in their party,” he said.
According to him, 80 per cent of the political parties listed on the ballot papers during elections are not active.
He argued that it was normal for INEC to de-register such parties as they only constitute a nuisance to the polity.
Duke also joined other politicians to commend the House of Representative’s approval of independent candidature for future elections.
The politician told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the approval would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and promote the right of an individual to vote and be voted for.
NAN reports that the House of Representatives approved independent candidacy on July 24 during a clause by clause voting on the report of its Ad-hoc Committee on Amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
Duke described the lawmakers’ decision as a step in the right direction. He said that America was doing same, and that Nigeria needed to take any steps that would deepen its democracy.
“It will be a good development if we should have it; if a candidate goes for an election and loses, he or she will have to go and rest,” he told NAN.
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