Reps want INEC stripped of political parties’ registration, regulation powers

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed through second reading, a bill for an act to provide for the establishment of an independent authority for the registration, regulation and funding of political Parties in the country.

Sponsored by the Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen(APC, Kaduna) and Hon. Marcus Onobun, the bill seeks to remove the registration and regulation of political parties from the independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

Instead, the proposed legislation intends to create an independent body or authority, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, for the registration and the regulation of the activities and operation of Political parties.

It also proposed the establishment the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal which shall determine disputes between members of Political Parties, disputes between a member of a Political Party and a Political Party, disputes between Political Parties, disputes between an Independent candidate and a Political Party, disputes between coalition partners and appeals from the decisions of the Registrars under the bill.

The bill in clauses 41 and 42 prescribed penalties for offences by political parties and its members and also prescribes punishments for offenders to ensure transparency and accountability in political parties’ administration in Nigeria.

In clause 47, the proposed legislation provides for consequential amendment of sections 75 to 81 of the Electoral Act 2022 thereby removing registration of political parties from the functions of INEC.

Leading debate on the general principles of the bill, the co-sponsor, Hon. Onobun said the call for transparency in the electoral process in Nigeria had continued to dominate public discourse in recent years as evidenced by the increase number of electoral disputes at all levels.

He said all stakeholders in the electoral process are ‘ad idem’ with the fact that no nation can elect credible leaders and experience good governance where the process of electing her leaders is marred by irregularities.

“People believe that election integrity depends on free, fair, impartial and transparent process for registering political parties and for conducting elections. Many citizens have rightly or wrongly blamed the election umpire in Nigeria, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for election irregularities. Irrespective of the divide one may find himself, what is undisputable is the fact that our electoral process needs a surgical operation.

“In a country of over 200 million people, it is suggested that INEC is overwhelmed with the onerous task of registering political parties, regulating political parties, overseeing coalition and mergers while also conducting the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

“Therefore to improve on our electoral process and the management of political parties, it is desirous that we have a different authority that will be responsible for the registration and regulation of political parties activities, and also to ensure that registered political parties comply with constitutional and other statutory requirements while INEC concentrates on its primary assignment of conducting elections to ensure a more proficient, seamless and transparent democratic process in Nigeria, he said.

A member of the House, Hon. Bob Solomon (PDP, Rivers) raised concerns about the bill as it seeks to fabricate the functions of INEC while most its proposals were are captured in the Constitution and Electoral Act and called for its reconsideration.

But Speaker Abbas who presided over the plenary said such concerns could be addressed at public hearing on the bill and it was voted and passed for second reading.

By James Kwen