Bill to relieve INEC of Party Registration Role Scales Second Reading
A bill proposing an Act to establish an Independent Authority for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties in Nigeria has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill intends to establish a dispute resolution tribunal and to control political party funding and expenditure.
The bill, backed by Speaker of the House Tajudeen Abbas and another politician, Marcus Onobun, aims to preserve transparency and stability in democracy.
The proposed legislation is expected to improve political party accountability and establish a framework for fair competition in elections. Advocates claim that such steps are critical to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and increasing public faith in the political process.
Currently, there are 19 registered political parties in Nigeria. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently responsible for the functions that the new independent institution will take on.
Many, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and previous INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, have questioned INEC’s independence and neutrality, citing political meddling in election commissioner appointments.
“The electoral commission must be completely independent, and we must have credible members. Political leaders who are overbearing and pressing you (INEC staffers) to do the wrong thing should quit and go,” Jonathan remarked at a recent Yiaga gathering.
In a similar vein, Jega stated: “There is political interference in the appointment or removal of electoral commissioners and other election officials.”
Bishop Isaac Idahosa, the New Nigeria People’s Party’s (NNPP) Vice Presidential Candidate for 2023, also bemoaned the fact that nobody checks INEC.
Meanwhile, INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu has advocated for the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal.
“A key impediment to the swift dispensing of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound, unlike post-election offences handled by tribunals. Additionally, the Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged acts occurred are entirely responsible for prosecuting them.
Such matters receive no particular treatment because the courts handle a wide range of other situations. As a result, electoral offences are carried over from one General Election to the next, which can occasionally jeopardise the meticulous prosecution of cases.
“It is therefore imperative to renew our call for the creation of the Electoral Offences Tribunal that has a specific jurisdiction and limited timeframe for the speedy dispensation of cases,” according to him.