75 Political associations seek party registration with INEC

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, 75 associations have applied for registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as political parties.

Prof Bolade Eyinla, chief technical adviser to INEC chairman said this in Abuja at a conference organised by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).

Prof Eyinla noted that INEC lacked the power to restrict the political space to fewer parties in Nigeria.

ALSO READ: INEC strategising ahead of 2019 elections

The INEC official expressed displeasure over the increasing cost of politics and electioneering in Nigeria.

"The core cost of the 2015 election was $547 million, political parties and their candidates spent between $1.5 billion and $2 billion," he said.

“In the last general elections in Benin Republic, the core cost was $15 million and then you had a candidate, who alone spent about $32 million. In Nigeria, our core cost was $547million. It is perhaps the most expensive elections that we have ever seen.

“I have seen figures somewhere of between $1.5 billion to $2 billion and believe me, it is true if we really knew what happened. In one scandal, we heard of $115 million,” the INEC official added.

There are 40 registered political parties in Nigeria. This means that the country will have over 100 political parties if all 75 associations are registered by INEC.