SPN
WILL RESIST DEREGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES
PRESS STATEMENT
The Socialist Party of
Nigeria (SPN) is categorically opposed to the agenda of deregistration of
political parties that did not win elective seats. This policy is undemocratic
and negates the principle of multi-party ‘democracy’. We call on parties, the
labour movement and civil society to condemn this threat and be prepared to
organize campaigns to resist it. The game plan for the ruling elite is to limit
the political space to the major capitalist political parties as a means of
stiffing political opposition. Deregistration of parties based on winning of
elective post negates the principle of equity and fairness; it equally violates
the principle of Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution with specific reference to
Section 38 (freedom of thought and conscience), Section 39 (freedom of
expression) and Section 40 (freedom of association).
The proponents of
deregistration of political parties are making a reactionary case and
unfortunately, Femi Falana has lent his voice in support of deregistration of
political party despite his roles in the struggle for political alternative in
the past. The Nigerian anti-poor capitalist ruling elite have fought tooth and
nail to limit the political space to rightwing parties. In 1999, the parties
were PDP, APP and AD. The legal and political struggle to open up the political
space was spearheaded by Gani Fawehinmi and Balarabe Musa and since then the
ruling elite have consistently tinkered with various laws to make registration
and existence of political parties extremely difficult. The SPN also fought
INEC undemocratic policies legally and politically for over three years before
it was registered.
Coming out of the 2019
general election, the major problem encountered, just like in previous
elections, was not the participation of multiple political parties. The
election was marred by violence, the use of thugs and security operatives to
thwart election process, multiple voting, massive vote buying, manipulations,
killing, intimidation of voters and opposition political parties and bribery of
electoral officers and security operatives. All these were orchestrated by the
dominant capitalist political parties (PDP, APC, etc). These various crimes
committed by the major capitalist political parties undermined the credibility
of the election.. Indeed, it is partly the massive rigging, manipulation and
violence perpetrated by pro-establishment parties such as APC and PDP in
connivance with the INEC that have made it difficult for the so-called small
parties to win any elective post. Yet, the capitalist ruling elite want to use
the precarious conditions they foist on the so-called parties as the basis for deregistration.
It is grossly illogical
for political parties to be deregistered because they failed to win a seat
thereby reducing the roles of political parties to winning election alone. We
strongly feel that the primary role of political parties in society is social and
political mobilization of the people around certain ideals, programs and
policies as a means of contributing to the development of such society.
There are 13 parties
represented in the South African Parliament and 56 parties unrepresented and
none of the parties who were unable to win a seat has been deregistered. The US
model that the Nigerian ruling elite borrowed has two dominant political
parties (Democrat and Republican) and about 38 other minor parties, but has no
registration of parties. For example,
Prohibition Party in the US was founded in 1869 and polled 5,617 in the 2016
presidential election and it is allowed to keep standing.
About 73 million
collected their PVC but only 27 million actually voted which is about 36%
participation and the declared winner was elected by just 21% of eligible
voters while the governorship elections had even lower participation. We must
state that this very low participation would have been much lower if massive
vote buying never took place. The proponents of party deregistration should
worry more about low voters’ participation which is an indictment on the ruling
elite as a result of the failure to meet the wishes and aspirations of the
people. Should the ruling elite and the so-called big parties be denied of
looted public funds and kickbacks from bourgeois contractors who benefited from
fraudulent contracts, it would mark the end of such parties. A political party
has a right to decide not to contest elections for as long as possible and
still play its role as opposition party.
SPN feels strongly that,
if the present arrangement continues, the basis for registration and
deregistration of a political party should be the failure to comply with
chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution that states the fundamental objectives and
directive principles of State Policy. Section 16 (1 and 2) states clearly that
the economy should be run to secure maximum welfare of the people, for the
major sectors of the economy to be managed by the State and the State and
governance should not permit the concentration of wealth or the means of
production and exchanges in the hands of a few individuals or of a group. Since
the advent of civil rule, the ruling elite through the dominant capitalist
political parties have run this country in violation of Chapter 2 of the
Constitution through sustained neo-liberal, anti-poor capitalist policies
(privatization, deregulation, commercialization etc) that created more misery,
poverty, unemployment and has concentrated much of our collective wealth in the
hands of a privileged few.
However, SPN recognizes
that some political parties are being established for opportunist purposes and
for enrichment of key party leaders. But the SPN does not fall in this category
and we have never collaborated with any of the pro-rich capitalist major
parties for pecuniary or other reasons. We feel strongly that the fate of a
political party arising from its conducts and activities should be left to the
Nigerian people/electorate to decide.
The Socialist Party of
Nigeria (SPN) will resist the plan to undemocratically deregister political
parties. SPN is committed to socialist programme which entails socio-economic
and political agenda based on public sector-led economy and geared towards
meeting the needs of all and not the profit, privileges and wasteful lifestyle
of a few. It is the fear that this programme can get support which is a factor
in the drive to deregister parties. But even if we are deregistered unlawfully
and undemocratically for a time, the SPN will not go away, we will continue to
fight in the interests of working people and for the building of a mass
movement that can wrestle control of this country out of the hands of the
thieving elite.
SIGNED
Abiodun
Bamigboye Chinedu
Bosah
Acting National Chairperson National
Secretary
