2019: INEC should experiment with 10 parties – Kwara SDP

The Kwara State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has advised that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not go beyond registration of ten parties for the 2019 elections in the country.
The party which spoke to National Pilot through its chairman in Ilorin, Comrade Lekan Alabi noted that proliferation of political parties will only devalue the political process in the country.
INEC recently announced registration of new parties in the country in preparation for the 2019 election.
Alabi noted that proliferation of political parties in the country don’t give room for genuine contenders who have what it take to contribute meaningfully and positively to the process.
According to Alabi, “I don’t subscribe to too many parties. I think we should have maximum of ten parties and whoever does not find its way into the set up should be left out.
“When you have too many parties, they don’t really add value to the process, some of them are only known on paper. The process is better managed by the commission when the number is sizeable”, he added.
Recall that the state chapter of APGA had also questioned the rationale behind registration of additional parties few months after the numbers were reduced by the commission initially.
According to its National Vice-Chairman, North Central, Engr Sule Ajayi, the country should learn to borrow a leaf from more advanced foreign democracies with fewer parties despite their development.
“When we have over political parties on ground, what is the essence of registering new ones? In other places across the world with civilized democracies, we only have about three or four political parties and yet we have found it difficult to domesticate that here.
“At a time, the thing was becoming ridiculous with all kinds of presidential aspirants springing up as the general elation was getting closer from fringe parties and the number was reduced, why do they want to create more again.
“Is the federal government looking for revenue or what with the proposed increase of political parties”, he had noted.