Delisting of Political Parties: CNPP Slams ‘Dictatorial’ INEC

Attahiru Jega

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has slammed last night’s delisting of 28 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing it as vindication of the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee Report that the recruitment of Electoral Commissioners should be made open, as opposed to the President nominating his cronies.
“It is unfortunate that [INEC Chairman] Professor Jega against his previous high pedigree has allowed himself to be recruited by the PDP; a party which failed to deliver the dividends of democracy and whose game-plan is to use subterfuge and brinksmanship to hang on to power,” CNPP said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu.
“Otherwise, why did Professor Jega blatantly consign to the dust-bin of history or implement with passion other breaches and infractions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010, which more than the partisan ones he is now committed to are better placed to deepen our fledgling democracy? To mention a few, the failure to prosecute the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State who was caught with election materials and the serial bribe scandal of INEC officials which were reported to Professor Jega.”
CNPP expressed alarm that the INEC chairman and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are unfolding their road-map to dictatorship through rigging the 2015 elections and consolidating the inordinate ambition of PDP to enthrone a one party state in Nigeria and rule for 60 uninterrupted years.
It recalled that recently, INEC was asking the National Assembly for powers, among others, to ban candidates, a request followed now by the de-registration of 28 parties.
CNPP warned that INEC lacks the moral and legal capacity to de-register political parties, as the Supreme Court judgment on the registration of political parties is still subsisting.
“At any rate the strength of political parties cannot today be determined because of the sham and less than transparent elections INEC conducts,” it said, questioning how anyone can de-register the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), given its massive Aminu Kano followership in the North.
“In sum, only the electorate under free, fair and transparent elections can truly determine the strength of political parties and not legislation invoked to enthrone one party state dictatorship; for Peoples Democratic Party, which failed serially, inspite of an unprecedented oil windfall, to provide security, electricity, build refinery, modern railways, construct good roads and provide quality health and education.”