Bill to strip INEC of party registration role passes second reading

A bill aimed at creating an independent authority for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties in Nigeria passed its second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill, co-sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Edo lawmaker Marcus Onobun, proposes transferring the responsibility for political party registration and regulation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to a new, separate body. During Thursday’s plenary, which was presided over by Abbas, Onobun, the representative for Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, explained the bill’s key principles to his colleagues, emphasizing that INEC should not be involved in regulating the activities of political parties.
He said, “The call for transparency in the electoral process in Nigeria has continued to dominate public discourse in recent years. This is evidenced by the increased number of electoral disputes at all levels. All stakeholders in the electoral process are in tandem with the fact that no nation can elect credible leaders and experience good governance where the process of electing her leaders is marred by irregularities.
“People believe that election integrity depends on a free, fair, impartial and transparent process for registering political parties and for conducting elections.
“Many citizens have rightly or wrongly blamed INEC for election irregularities. Irrespective of the divide one may find himself, what is indisputable is the fact that our electoral process needs a surgical operation.
“In a country of over 200 million people, it is suggested that INEC is overwhelmed with the onerous task of registering political parties, regulating political parties, overseeing coalition and mergers while also conducting the presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
“To improve our electoral process and the management of political parties, it is desirous that we have a different authority that will be responsible for the registration and regulation of political parties’ activities.
“This will ensure that registered political parties comply with constitutional and other statutory requirements while INEC concentrates on its primary assignment of conducting elections to ensure a more proficient, seamless and transparent democratic process in Nigeria.”
He listed the objectives of the bill to include “Creating an independent body or authority, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, for the registration and the regulation of the activities and operation of political parties.
“The bill also seeks to establish the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal under clause 35, which shall determine disputes between members of political parties, disputes between political parties, disputes between an Independent candidate and a political party, disputes between coalition partners and appeals from the decisions of the Registrars under this bill.
“The bill, under Clauses 41 and 42, prescribes penalties for offences by political parties and its members and also prescribes punishments for offenders to ensure transparency and accountability in political parties’ administration in Nigeria.
“The bill, in Clause 47 provides for consequential amendment of sections 75 to 81 of the Electoral Act 2022 thereby removing registration of political parties from the functions of INEC,” he added.
When subjected to a voice vote by Abbas, members voted in support of the bill, which was subsequently referred to the Committees on Electoral Matters and Political Party Matters.