Deborah Akinyosoye
Leading opposition figures have strongly rejected a proposal suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should limit the number of political parties in Nigeria to a maximum of 10.
The suggestion was made by Senator Muntari Dandutse (Katsina South) during Wednesday’s plenary debate on “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act, No. 13, 2022 and Enact the Electoral Bill, 2025 …”
Senator Dandutse argued that the current number of registered political parties was unwieldy, adding that many existed “only on paper.”
He said, “It must not be more than 10. Some of them exist only in name and have no real structures.”
However, the proposal immediately drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders and pro-democracy advocates, who described it as an assault on constitutional freedoms.
Reacting, Chief Peter Ameh, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), dismissed the idea as “a dangerous step backward” for Nigeria’s democracy.
He said, “This misguided suggestion is the inevitable result of anti-democratic politicians forcing their way into our legislative chambers, in blatant disregard of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees every citizen the freedom of association and political participation.”
Ameh warned that any attempt to restrict these rights would be “antithetical to democracy” and recalled that similar efforts to deregister parties in the past were fiercely resisted.
“This proposal reflects a sinister attempt to drag Nigeria back to a one-party era, a dystopian idea patriotic Nigerians fought against years ago,” he added.
Also speaking, Chief Chekwas Okorie, founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), said that multi-party democracy remains the best system for a diverse, multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria.
He noted that any political association that meets the criteria set by law deserves registration, saying, “Limiting the number of parties will deny Nigerians the right to pursue their legitimate political aspirations.”