The Independent National Electoral Commission has registered five new political parties.
The five successful new political parties were said to be part of the 95 associations that applied to the Commission for registration as political parties.
It was gathered that two of the political associations voluntarily withdrew their applications.
The five successful parties are Young Progressive Party, Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, New Generation Party of Nigeria, All Democratic Peoples Movement and Action Democratic Party.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Prince Adedeji Soyebi, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said, “At present, 95 Associations have applied to the Commission for registration as political parties. Two of the associations voluntarily withdrew their applications.
“The Commission today approved the applications of five of the associations which have fulfilled the constitutional requirements for registration.”
With the registration of the above parties, there are now 45 political parties in Nigeria.
In its reaction, the APDA in a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Asandian Hogan, said it was determined to redefine partisan politics and political administration in the country.
“We have a social contract with Nigerians and this is driven by a deliberate, conscious and patriotic conviction that the time has come for us to institute a national political platform that will accommodate all of us as we strive to meet our individual and collective dreams and aspirations,” the statement said.
The statement added flat it was an indisputable fact that the government of the day had failed the people, alleging that hunger and poverty were ravaging the land and there was no hope for a better tomorrow under the present order.
It said, “Much more regrettable is the fact that there is no viable opposition in the land to put the failing government on its toes. A situation like this calls for redress and APDA is offering itself to undertake this rescue mission.
“To achieve our broad goals and objectives, we have put together a holistic manifesto which will be the basis of our social contract with the Nigerian people.”
Meanwhile, in the meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries, Soyebi said that the Commission received and considered submissions from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as reports from some accredited observers of the CVR exercise.
He said that the commission noted the challenges encountered so far, and is addressing them.
Th national commissioners added that as At Friday, June 2, 2017, a total of 760,989 persons had been registered across the country, saying that the figure was made up of 59. 5 percent males and 40.5 percent females.
So far, he said 31,808 persons had collected their PVCs while 34, 560 others applied for transfer of Polling Units.
He said that due to budgetary constraints, the Commission cannot, for now, decentralise to the Registration Area level, but said that due considerations shall be given to certain areas with peculiar challenges.
Soyebi said that the commission decided that, in view of the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 17, 2017, the CVR will be decentralised to the Registration Area (Ward) level from 10th to 16th August 2017.
He said that the same consideration shall be given to Ekiti and Osun states which have governorship elections in 2018.
(Punch)
