INEC to decide on 95 new political parties seeking registration on Wednesday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday revealed that it currently has 95 applications of groups seeking registration as political parties and said decision on that will be taken on Wednesday.

This was revealed by the commission’s chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during an interview with newsmen at the ongoing workshop to review INEC’s Communication Policy, in Abuja.

He said a decision will be taken on the matter after a meeting with INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) scheduled for Wednesday in Kaduna.

“Let me assure Nigerians that under the Electoral Act, the commission is required to register new political parties and the guidelines are very clear for registration.

“As at last week, we received 95 applications for registration as new
political parties.

“At the end of this workshop, there is going to be a retreat on Wednesday to review the ongoing voter registration, followed by a
meeting of the commission here in Kaduna.

“There will be a statement on parties after the meeting of the commission,” INEC chairman said.

He further disclosed that the electoral commission will also on Wednesday update Nigerians on the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

He said, “We will do a mid-quarter review after six weeks and the mid-quarter review will come up here in Kaduna and we will issue our statement here after.”

Since Anambara governorship election will be coming this year’s November, Yakubu said the commission would extend the CVR in the state to ward levels ahead of the election.

According to him, electorate who registered in the state before the first quarter 2017 would obtain their Permanent​ Voter Cards (PVCs) before the state governorship election.

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He said, “We will soon announce the date for the commencement of the exercise. So those who have registered under the current CVR and those who will register when we devolve to ward level will all have their PVCs ahead of the election.

“For those who have registered and are going to vote in Anambra, I want to assure them that they will have their cards. It is for those who have done it in the first quarter of this year.”

Mahmood also said that INEC has not been able to fix a date for pending senatorial district election in Anambra as the case was still in court.

“You know the matter is before the Court of Appeal. A date was fixed, May 30, but at the court, one of the parties prayed for adjournment to June 12 or June 13,” he explained.

 

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