Poll supports registration of more parties

Over half of Nigerians who participated in a recent nationwide survey want the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register more political parties to contest elections and to nurture Nigeria’s young democracy. The poll was conducted by ‘The Guardian’ in 24 states. Of the 1,178 persons sampled, 57.3 percent said “yes” and 27.25 percent said “no”. Another 13.84 percent did not comment while 1.6 percent were discounted, the Lagos-based daily reported on Friday. Those who want more parties to be registered base their position on the fact that established democracies around the world are good examples of a multi-party system. While two or three parties may dominate in some countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, the system allows the electorate to vote for several other lesser known parties. Those who are against new registrations believe they would lead to the emergence of tribal parties which would not bode well for Nigeria’s future as a democracy, according to ‘The Guardian.’ Meanwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo’s special adviser on inter-party relations, Mahmud Waziri, has urged the federal government to maintain the current three-party structure for future elections, ‘The Guardian’ reported.