An eminent Professor of Law, Prof Akin Oyebode (SAN), has condemned the high number of political parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to INEC, 91 political parties are registered in Nigeria.
Oyebode, who taught Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) at the University of Lagos, expressed his displeasure in an interview published by The Punch on Saturday.
He said the high number of political parties could confuse the electorate during the 2019 general election.
Oyebode said:
It is a joke to register over 90 political parties in one country. To register 90 political parties, it seems we have reduced everything to a child’s play and that is why I am in support of limiting the number of political parties that we have, perhaps by setting some benchmarks as minimum votes that they have to win in the election. For instance, it could be two per cent of the registered votes or five per cent of the electorate, so that we can whittle down this horrendous number of parties. It also gives me this impression that Nigerian parties are not organic parties, they are synthetic and they are almost artificial parties only in name and do not really have root in the community. I have vehemently opposed the registration of the large number of parties. People can be organised but they do not have the right to spoil our political destiny, to make it look like a joke; it is a rude and ugly joke that Nigeria could accept to have up to 90 parties. How would the ballot paper look with 90 political parties? The electorate would be confused!