Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sanitize Nigeria’s political landscape by deregistering dormant and inactive political parties.
Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, decried the proliferation of what he termed an “industry of political desperadoes”—parties that exist solely to profit from electoral litigation rather than participate meaningfully in the democratic process.
Speaking during a constituency engagement in Ijesa North, Osun State, and in a position paper shared with journalists in Abuja, the lawmaker urged INEC to urgently conduct a nationwide audit of all registered political parties. He recommended that this exercise become a yearly routine to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions and to promote credible multiparty democracy.
“Our democracy is under threat, not from the absence of parties, but from the abundance of parties without purpose,” Oke said. “We are witnessing a troubling surge in political entities that are dormant during campaigns, invisible at polling units, but suddenly active in courtrooms after elections—filing petitions not to protect votes, but to extort.”
Citing Section 225A of the Constitution, Oke reminded INEC of its power to deregister parties that fail to meet required conditions, such as contesting or winning elections.
He described a disturbing trend in which these inactive parties, lacking national structures or administrative presence, exploit Nigeria’s electoral system by dragging legitimate winners into frivolous legal battles—often seeking financial settlements rather than justice.
“This is not only unethical,” he stressed, “but a drain on judicial resources and an affront to the electoral process. We are seeing judges burdened with spurious cases brought by political ghosts, while serious disputes compete for attention.”
Oke also raised concerns about Nigeria’s overcrowded ballot papers, which he described as among the most confusing globally, especially for non-literate voters. According to him, the excessive number of party logos has led to voter confusion, errors, and spoiled ballots.
“Feedback from the field indicates that some voters, out of panic, voted across party lines or misidentified their preferred parties due to the cluttered ballot design,” he noted.
He further criticized the financial burden imposed on INEC by having to accommodate inactive parties during elections, including printing ballots and providing logistics, calling it “a wasteful subsidy to parties that exist only on paper.”
Oke proposed several reforms, including: Amendment to the Electoral Act to restrict the right to challenge election results only to parties that participated in the elections.
Year-round party monitoring by INEC and civil society organizations to ensure active participation beyond election season.
Public education campaigns to help voters distinguish between credible and non-credible political platforms.
“Freedom of association is a fundamental democratic right,” he said, “but it must serve the public good. Political parties should be engines of democratic representation—not tools of manipulation and merchandize.”
Oke’s remarks come amid renewed debate over the role of minor political parties in Nigeria’s democracy, especially as INEC prepares for critical reforms ahead of the next electoral cycle.
VANGUARD
