Prof. Abdulhameed Ujo, the University of Abuja has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adopt stiffer conditions to reduce the number of political parties to contest presidential elections.
Ujo, of the Department of Political Science and International Relations Department of the university made the suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that the registration of additional five political parties by INEC was in line with the Supreme Court pronouncement that INEC had no right to deny any qualified political party of registration.
According to him, with the growing number of political parties in the country, national elections will be very difficult for INEC to conduct.
He recommended a hike in fee for collection of nomination papers to contest as presidential candidates and make winning a certain percentage of elective positions at the lower levels criteria to qualify for national election.
“For instance, if they want to contest presidential election, INEC can increase the fee so as to reduce the number of political parties.
“In other countries, if a political party wants to contest election at the national level, it must have certain percentage of its members elected at the lower level.
“That is how it is done in India and as it is, government will not have any choice with the growing number of political parties.
“Otherwise, INEC will not be able to manage the election when it will come,” the don said.
According to him, most of the political parties are coming up not because they want to contest national elections but want to operate as pressure groups and horse trade with other parties during elections.
“When the elections are around, you will see them declaring their support for another political party and in the process they get some money.
“Forming a political party is different from contesting elections and so, I will suggest that they join other political parties instead of this multiplicity of parties.
“It does not make sense as far as I am concern,” he said.
Ujo said that the emergence of two-party system in the U.S. and UK was as a result of the electoral behaviour of the people.
According to him, in the U.S. and UK, there are many other parties, there are regional parties, religious parties but which are not strong enough to contest national election. (NAN)
IMC/AOS/GY