Paul
Moderator
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that it has the power to de-registered political parties in the country to avoid confusion during elections.
According to Punch Newspaper, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Alhaji Haliru Pai, on Tuesday, made this known during a stakeholders meeting and the REC’s working visit to Efon Local Government Area of the state.
Alhaji Pai said, “INEC is empowered by the Electoral Act to de-register political parties that are causing confusion in our electioneering. In Ekiti State Central Senatorial District to be precise, a court ordered re-election because some political parties that were hardly known said election should be cancelled because their names were not on the ballot paper.
“The court cancelled the election as a result of that. It is on that basis that INEC is de-registering some political parties that did not win any elective office.
“Section 70, sub-section 8 and 5 and Section 78, 7 empowers INEC to de-register some parties. With this, ballot papers would be clearer to voters. They will help voters to identify the political parties they want to vote for. As it is, there are acronyms that are almost the same on the ballot papers. You will see AC, ACN, PDP, PPM, etc on them.
“If your party does not win presidential, governorship, national or state assembly seat, it will be deregistered. It means you are not there for anybody. Instead of being there and causing confusion, such party is better removed.”
He, however, assured the public of the commissions readiness to create a leveled playing field for free, fair, credible and internationally-recognised election.