. .Calls For Two Party System
An Aba based activist, Barr. Olusegun Bamgbose has described the deregistration of 28 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a step in the right direction.
He further called for the delisting of more parties for the nation to adopt a two party system.
In a chat with newsmen in Aba, Bamgbose said the present multiparty system has generated ethnicity in party formation and membership, describing such as unhealthy to the development and growth of politics in Nigeria.
“ACN that is just coming up from the South West is dominated by the Yoruba; we have APGA for the Igbos and CPC for the Northerners. These parties have ethnic colourations. The National outlook is not there and such doesn’t make for a good political arrangement if we are to move forward politically. As long as we continue to have multiparty system, the unity of the country will always be in jeopardy because of the ethnic colouration of our political parties.”
Bamgbose who is also the National Coordinator of Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), called on the National Assembly to use the opportunity of the on-going constitutional amendment to review and address the issue of multiparty system in order to cut cost involved in running elections as a result of multiparty system in operation in Nigeria.
The human right activist commended INEC for de-listing the 28 parties whom he describes as inactive.
“INEC should be commended for delisting the parties, they have been inactive. Some of them have failed to present candidates for even for local government elections. Their continued existence was a complete and continued wastage of resources,” he said.
He advocated for a two party system, describing it as fit for Nigeria. “If adopted,two party system will help to limit the choice of voters to candidates with good manifestos and also, will help to reduce the huge resources spent in the organization of elections in Nigeria.The much celebrated June 12 annulled election that saw MKO Abiola emerged the winner did not come just like that. It came because the choice of voters was limited to two candidates. Majority went for MKO of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate against Bashir Tofa of National Republican Convention(NRC),not because he from Yoruba, but because he as an idea the people believed can help to grow the economy of Nigeria and also improved the lives of Nigerians.” he posited
