INEC boss says electoral body can handle more political parties

chika ebuzor

July 2, 2017 11:30 AM

Yakubu said the availability of more political parties will give citizens the opportunity to make an informed choice.

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has said that the electoral body can handle more political parties.

Yakubu also said that INEC should not be blamed for registering more political parties, adding that the constitution allows it.

He said the availability of more political parties will give citizens the opportunity to make an informed choice.

Yakubu also said “We have 45 political parties today, but remember that we had 60 parties before the last general election in 2015. In many countries less well-endowed than we are, you hear about 100 or more political parties.

“And so, given our population, diversity and number of constituencies, the number of political parties we have at the moment and possibly more parties to be registered before the next general elections can be effectively managed by INEC.

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“As you can see, the number of parties we have in relation to our diversity is not too much to handle.

“Ultimately, citizens are the beneficiaries because they will be offered greater opportunity for choice.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently presented certificates to the five newly-registered political parties on Friday, June 16, 2017 in Abuja.

chika ebuzor