Party Registration Should Be Full Time Job For Another Body – INEC.

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By SUNDAY ISUWA -Abuja

Registration of political parties should be a full time job of another body, the chairman, Board of The Electoral Institute, a research organ of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prince Solomon Soyobi has said.

Soyebi, a National Commission, while reacting to the challenges faced by the commission during a round table programme organised by the Electoral Institute tagged: “Revisiting The Template For INEC’s Elections Operational and Logistics Plan: A Focus On The 2019 General Elections,” held at the TEI, he said the task before INEC is enormous.

“Registration for political parties should be full time job for another body. Also,

prosecution of electoral offenders is also a task for INEC which need to be look at,” Soyebi said.

The National commissioner who had earlier during his presentation said there has been expantion from 2015 to 2019 interns of voter register and number of political parties, admitted that INEC needs to improve on it’s logistics preparations.

He said the cost of the election is on the increase adding that the commission is working hard to reduce it.

“Ballot boxes has to be provided to accommodate the size of the ballot paper,” Soyebi said of the 2019 general elections adding that it was a challenge.

“There are some questions we should ask ourselves. What will be the number of voters, political parties in 2023? Which this, we can plan ahead, ” Soyebi added.

Another national Commissioner, Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari said since INEC recently tour the country on a National dialique, added that discussions should be all inclusive and should aim towards a successful election in 3023.

Amina, while responding to a suggestions that INEC should recruit permanent staff to conduct election all over the country and not adhoc staff, said INEC cannot have the capacity to employ permanent staff to conduct elections.

“It is not feasible,” Amina said adding that sourcing for adhoc staff is a global reality.

She suggested that the commission retirees and friends of INEC should always be approached to render held during elections.

The Director General of the electoral institute, Dr Sa’ad Umar Idris said INEC have been making efforts in introducing new initiatives adding that the round table will help in future elections.

Idris who said the 2019 general elections were applauded, adding that there were still challenges they need to work on and improve the process.

A scribe of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Isa Aremu suggested that strict policies should be adopted in registering political parties.

According to Aremu, the 91 political parties in the country with about 73 application waiting for registration should be look into appropriately.

“INEC needs quality control in registering political parties. Political parties should come together to ensure that there is a target.

“If there is labour party, there is no need for Zenith Labour Party,” Aremu said suggesting that beyong quantity control, INEC must ensure quality control.

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