INEC gives conditions for opposition parties’ merger

Independent National Electoral Commission has said opposition parties considering a merger must meet the conditions stipulated in the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act before they can be registered as a new party.

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone on Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said any party that planned to contest an election must have been on INEC’s record long before the commission issues a notice on the election.

Idowu however said the law did not stipulate how long the party must have been registered before the commission issues the notice.

He said, “The constitution has stated clearly how parties should be registered. The law also provides for when INEC must serve notice of elections. Section 25 of the Electoral Act says INEC should issue a notice of election 90 days before an election.

“If a political party is to participate in an election, the party has to be on INEC’s register before INEC issues such notice. If a party is not on INEC’s register by the time the commission issues a notice, such political party cannot contest in that same election.”

He added that under Sections 222 to 225 of the 1999 Constitution, political parties cannot approach the commission for re-registration or registration as another party.

He said, “If political parties want to form a merger and they coalesce into an association, they would come to INEC with the identity of that association they have coalesced into not with their individual identities.

“The constitution stipulates the conditions that associations must meet before they can be registered as political parties. Once they meet the conditions, they are eligible for registration.”

Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution states that, “No association by whatever name called shall function as a party, unless the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“The membership of the association is open to every citizen of Nigeria irrespective of his place of origin, circumstance of birth, sex, religion or ethnic grouping.

“A copy of its constitution is registered in the principal office of the INEC in such form as may be prescribed by the INEC; any alteration in its registered constitution is also registered in the principal office of the Independent National Electoral Commission within 30 days of the making of such alteration 

“The name of the association, its symbol or logo does not contain any ethnic or religious connotation or give the appearance that the activities of the association are confined to a part only of the geographical area of Nigeria; and the headquarters of the association is situated in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

The major opposition parties, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, and the Congress for Progressive Change, are nursing a merger plan in order to tackle the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 general elections.