§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the fairness of political party registration in Nigeria; and what impact the registration of political parties in Nigeria has made on the country's transition to democracy. [87173]
§ Clare ShortThe Supreme Court ruling of 21 November 2002 upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) right to set guidelines for the registration of political parties, but held that these guidelines could not impose requirements in excess of those set out in the constitution. As a result, 22 new political parties have now been registered, bringing the total to 28. Though the initial ruling by INEC was exclusive, the court system was used to good effect by the excluded parties to ensure a much broader participation. Thus, while the courts ruled that INEC was not 'fair' to have excluded parties in the first place, the system as a whole can be judged to have been fair.
The registration of the additional parties will cause administrative difficulties, but it could have a beneficial impact, allowing more people to become involved in politics, and could increase the likelihood that parties will form on issue-based platforms. However the full impact of the registration of 22 new parties is yet to be felt. My Department is working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to monitor developments.