The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on
Wednesday announced the registration of five new political parties ahead of the
2019 general elections.
Mr Adedeji Soyebi, INEC’s Commissioner and Chairman,
Information and Voter Education Committee, made this known at the end of the
commission’s meeting in Kaduna.
The new political parties, according to Soyebi, are Young
Progressive Party (YPP), Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), New
Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP), All Democratic Peoples Movement (ADPM) and
Action Democratic Party (ADP).
This brings to 45, the number of registered political
parties in the country.
“At present, 95 associations have applied to the commission for registration as political parties. Two of the associations voluntarily withdrew their applications.
“At present, 95 associations have applied to the commission for registration as political parties. Two of the associations voluntarily withdrew their applications.
“The commission today approved the applications of five of
the associations which have fulfilled the constitutional requirements for
registration,” Soyebi said.
On ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR),
which began on April 27, he said that no fewer than 760,989 voters had so far
been registered nationwide.
He explained that the figure was made up of 59.5 per cent of
males and 40.5 per cent, females.
“So far, 31,808 persons have collected their PVCs while 34,
560 others applied for transfer of Polling Units.”
He said that due to budgetary constraints, INEC could not
currently decentralize the voter registration to the Registration Area level,
adding, however, that due consideration would be given to certain areas with
peculiar challenges.
Soyebi stated that the commission had noted the challenges
encountered so far, and was addressing them.
In view of the Anambra governorship election scheduled for
Nov. 17, Soyebi said that the CVR would be decentralized to the Registration
Area (Ward) level from Aug. 10 to Aug. 16.
He added that the same consideration, at the appropriate
time, would be given to Ekiti and Osun ahead of governorship elections in the
states in 2018.
(NAN)
