The New Nigeria peoples’ party (NNPP) has described as sad the recent law enacted by the National assembly that empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties on the ground that they failed to win any elective position at the grass root level.
This was contained in a press statement issued recently by the party at Abuja and was signed by the party’s National Vice-Chairman, North-West, Alhaji Mohammed Babayo Abdullahi.
The statement faulted the law on the ground that if the country continued to make laws that infringed on the provisions of the constitution, the nascent democracy may as well be jeopardized.
NNPP noted that deregistering political parties on the ground that they did not win elections today did not translate to the fact that they would not win election in the future adding that sections 39, 40 and 41 of the 1999 constitution made provisions for the freedom of association.
“The concept of deregistering political parties for the fact they did not win election at the moment does not suggest that such political parties cannot win elections in the future. It is also important to note that the relevant sections of the 1999 constitution (sections 39, 40 and 41) make provision for freedom of association . It is in our view that if we continue to make laws that infringe on the Nigeria constitution, we may be hindering sustainable democracy in Nigeria”, the statement read.
It noted that the essence of multiparty system in Nigeria was to create enough political space for teeming population of Nigerians who had intention to test their popularity and participate in the art of good governance in Nigeria.
It therefore reminded the lawmakers that the expectations of the greater Nigerians were that they should make popular laws for the good governance of the country thus they should not fall short of that expectations as it would be counter-productive to do so.
In a related development, the new Nigeria Peoples’ Party has called on the teeming women of this country who are in politics to take advantage of the platform provided them by the party to actualize their political dreams.
It also said that the party as the name implied was open to Nigerian women as well as other patriotic Nigerians in politics to revolutionize the art of good governance.
“The New Nigeria Peoples’ party (NNPP) as a registered political party in Nigeria may be a passage or a gate-way to a new Nigeria if women in politics can be courageous enough. NNPP is open to Nigerian women and patriotic Nigerians in-politics to revolutionize the art of good governance in Nigeria. The name new Nigeria peoples’ Party (NNPP) has said it all representing the mindset of Nigerians yearning for a new order in our country with a view to moving forward and supporting the on-going transformation”.
“The name NNPP alone is the tonic any person and/or Nigerian Women in particular need to revolutionize Nigeria in the art of good governance. We therefore challenge the Nigerian women to show that they are not against themselves as being perceived by the stakeholders of Nigerians in politics. The NNPP therefore offers the women in politics a chance of coming forward to take the centre stage in our potentially great nation”, it said.
It further added that fifty-four years after the nation’s independence, the time has come for the country to begin to look in the direction of the women to provide leadership for the country as it has been established that women are better managers of “human materials” as mothers and wives.