Chuks Okocha
4 December 2002
Abuja And Wale Olaleye in Lagos — The Chief Gani Fawehinmi-led National Conscience Party (NCP), former Inspector General of Police Alhaji M. D. Yusufu's Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ) and Balarabe Musa's Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) topped the list of 22 new political parties announced yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This brings to 28 the number of political parties registered in the country.
The other parties newly registered are Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) led by lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Justice Party (JP) led by Ralph Obioha, Nigeria Advance Party (NAP) led by Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Mahmud Attah's Nigerian Peoples Congress (NPC), Party for Social Democracy (PSD) led by former Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) chieftain, Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor and Democratic Alternative (DA) led by civil rights activist, Chima Ubani.
Others are All Peoples Liberation Party (APLP), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), Community Party of Nigeria (CPN), Liberal Demo-cratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), National Action Council (NAC) and National Mass Movement of Nigeria (NMMN).
Also registered are: National Reformation Party (NRP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), New Democrats (ND), Peoples Mandate Party (PMP), Peoples Salvation Party (PSP) and Progressive Action Congress (PAC).
Announcing the names of the 22 new political parties yesterday in Abuja, INEC chairman, Dr. Abel Guobadia, said that the new parties met the revised guidelines for registration.
Guobadia also said that out of the 25 political associations that sought for registration following the Supreme Court judgement on Electoral Act 2002, only three failed to meet the mark.
The Supreme Court had ruled that although INEC had powers to introduce guidelines for party registration, the guidelines on the basis of which it denied the NCP and four other parties registration were unconstitutional.
"The commission is satisfied that the following 22 associations have met the requirement to be registered as political parties, and are so registered," the INEC chairman said.
He said that the reasons for the non-registration of a few others would be communicated to the associations that did not meet the registration requirements in due course.
He disclosed that certificates of registration would be issued to the successful parties on December 17.
Guobadia congratulated the new parties and also invited them to join the INEC-Political Parties Consultative Forum where key issues involving electoral matters are discussed.
Fielding questions later, the INEC boss reiterated that the new political parties will not affect the conduct of 2003 general elections.
He, however, said that the newly registered political parties "will only increase the overall cost of conducting the elections," but will "not in any way... alter the timing of the elections."
In a swift reaction yesterday, the NCP said that with the registration of the parties, the political space will now be wide enough to allow for the participation of more Nigerians in the 2003 elections.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Fawehinmi, the NCP said for the first time since the post-colonial history of electoral politics, the electoral agency has been compelled to give effect to the fundamental right of Nigerians to form parties based mainly on constitutional provisions rather than extra-constitutional requirements.
"Though we are delighted that INEC has finally been compelled to succumb to the path of constitutionalism, it is sad that it took nine (9) months of hard legal and political struggles. The lessons for Nigerians is that they should learn to fight for their rights and demonstrate unflinching committement to the struggles for principles and social justice no matter how gruelling and gruesome it may be.
"The fresh registration of 22 political parties based on constitutional provisions is the consequence of the judgement of both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court which insist on strict observance of principles of constitutionalism in governance rather than arbitrary rule based on the whims and caprices of public officials," the NCP stated.
The newly registered parties urged other groups of Nigerians to equally feel free to apply for registration if they have any reason not to be comfortable with the existing 28 political parties in the country.
"We are now ready to move into the centre stage and remove the PDP government which has inflicted much poverty on the people in the last three years," Fawehinmi also told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He, however, said that in spite of the registration of the parties, "INEC's chairman, Dr. Abel Guobadia, is still unfit to handle the 2003 elections for the body."
Urging the removal of the INEC boss, Fawehinmi said: "Guobadia had held us at bay for the past nine months, disallowing us from putting our policies before the Nigerian people on official basis and allowing the government in power to hold sway.
"If he has done so much during the pre-registration exercise, he will use the same spirit to destroy the electoral process."
He also said that the NCP would soon challenge a law enacted by the National Assembly, allowing the disbursement of funds to political parties only after the elections.
"Funds must be given on an equitable basis as the constitution says, before the elections to enable parties use them to prepare," Fawehinmi said, adding, "we'll challenge the aseembly's position in the court of law."
In a telephone interview with THISDAY last night, Fawehinmi who said he was speaking on behalf of the five parties that took INEC to court - NCP, MDJ, NPC, CPN, and PRP urged INEC to conduct another voters' registration exercise.
"By this measure there is need to conduct another voters' registration exercise. INEC should repeat it in January and INEC can accommodate it because Guobadia said that elections will hold between March and April. We can still conduct another voters' registration. His failure to ensure proper registration of voters was because the political landscape was constricted.
"I salute the courage of the five parties that fought to the Supreme Court. I salute the courage of judges of the Supreme Court who were independent. It is a victory for the judiciary, the masses and the Nigerian people," he said.
He urged the masses to join forces with NCP to rid Nigeria of corrupt, inept and criminally minded politicians who have run the country aground.
THISDAY had reported yesterday that INEC which had initially planned to release the names of the new political parties tomorrow, made a slight adjustment as the date coincided with the public holiday marking the end of the Ramadan fast by Moslems.
Over 25 political associations had submitted applications for consideration as political parties following the release of fresh guidelines by INEC.
After the June 23 registration of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), National Democratic Party (NDP) and United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP), Fawehinmi challenged in court the non-registration of NCP, PRP, MDJ, NPC and CPN.
With the judgment of the Supreme Court INEC issued fresh guidelines for the registration of new political parties. The commission disagreed with the associations that went to court that the Supreme Court judgement did not in any way compel it to register new political parties.
Guobadia called on political associations wishing to be registered to collect the new guidelines and be ready to be assessed with the existing guidelines.
According to the new guidelines released by the commission "application for registration as political party shall be made on the commission's Form PA1 in 20 copies and shall be accompanied by the following documents: names, signatures, residential addresses of the chairman and secretary of the association filling the application."
Other aspects of the new guidelines includes:
Names of the proposed party;
A copy of the constitution;
Submission and acronym of the association must not be the same as the name or acronym of an existing party or any known registered political organisation, not have any ethnic, religious, or professional or other sectional connotation, not give the appearance that its activities are confined to only a certain part of the country.
The constitution must contain the association's name, symbol or logo, motto, aims and objectives
Provision for periodic elections on democratic basis for the principal officers
Provision for the reflection of federal character for the principal officers
Provision for the disciplinary procedure or for expelling of members;
Provision for the amendment of or alteration of the constitution;
A provision that the national office of the party shall be located within the Federal Capital Territory; and
Symbol must not portray any of the following:
Coat of arm of the federation, coat of arm of any other country, any device or emblem which is associated with any official acts of government or armed forces or police or any other uniform services or any ethnic tribe or ethnic or religious cult or a portrait of any living or dead or any symbol that is registered by any other group
Members must be 18 years and above.
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