A member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oluwole Oke, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to strengthen its regulatory powers over political parties, warning that the country’s democracy is at risk due to the proliferation of non-performing parties.
In a position paper released and obtained by DAILY POST on Monday, titled “Strengthening INEC’s Regulatory Role Over Political Parties to Safeguard Democratic Integrity,” Oke, who is the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, urged the electoral body to enforce its constitutional powers by deregistering parties that do not meet legal and performance benchmarks.
According to him, “There has been a noticeable rise in political parties that do not present candidates for election, lack state or national structures, and have no electoral representation at any level—federal, state, or local government.”
He added that some of these political parties, “use litigation solely to challenge election outcomes despite non-participation and have turned this into a business by demanding settlements from candidates who won election.”
Citing Section 225A of the Constitution, as amended by the Fourth Alteration Act No. 9 of 2017, Oke noted that INEC has powers to deregister parties for failure to win a ward in local government elections or a seat in any legislative arm, or simply not participating in elections at all.
He lamented that this practice creates ballot confusion for both literate and non-literate voters.
“These political desperadoes become active only during the immediate period before the election and post-election. They create legal chaos and judicial abuses by flooding the courts with frivolous petitions.
“The Nigerian ballot paper has become one of the longest and most complex in the world. Based on feedback from voters, some have even voted across lines out of panic,” he pointed out.
Oke who described the trend as a waste of public resources, pointed out that INEC spends money and manpower on parties that do not contribute to electoral value.
While hinting that it is a clear waste of tax papers money, he made several recommendations, including a mandatory annual compliance audit of political parties by INEC and immediate deregistration of those that fail to meet constitutional standards.
He noted that legal standing in election disputes must be limited to genuine contenders, adding that, “the Electoral Act should also be amended to bar non-participating parties from filing election petitions.”
Oke called on civil society groups and election observers to monitor party activities outside election periods and encourage public education campaigns to raise voter awareness on political choices and regulations.
“Political parties are meant to be vehicles of representation, not instruments of manipulation and merchandise. INEC must rise to its regulatory responsibilities to ensure that only credible, active, and democratically inclined parties are allowed to exist,” he concluded.
