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.
“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)