As the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria draw closer, it seems both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the lead opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), can no longer dismiss with a wave of the hand predictions that some of the so-called ‘small’ political parties are poised to make significant impact. This is mainly because of observed gains the ‘small’ parties have so far recorded from the on-going political re-alignments and defections.
It would be recalled that alleged failure of some aspirants to get automatic return tickets in APC and some other disagreements amongst leaders of the party and the PDP were parts of the reasons that led to the ongoing wave of defections by aggrieved politicians. As a result, some ‘smaller’ political parties have so far benefitted from the development so much that they are already considered stronger than they have ever been in some states. This, The Nation investigation shows, may ultimately alter some previous permutations. Added to the overall complexity is the addition of newly registered political parties in the middle of the already crowded race.
About two weeks ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered 23 new parties. With their coming on board, Nigeria now boasts of a whopping 91 political parties that are expected to contest the forthcoming 2019 General Elections.
The newly registered parties are: Advanced Alliance Party; African Action Congress; Alliance for a United Nigeria; Alliance of Social Democrats; Alliance Nation Party; Alliance People’s Movement; Alternative Party of Nigeria; Change Nigeria Party and Congress of Patriots. Others are: Liberation Movement; Movement for Restoration And Defence of Democracy; Nigeria Community Movement Party; Nigeria for Democracy; Peoples Coalition Party; Reform and Advancement Party; Save Nigeria Congress and United Patriots.
There is also: United Peoples Congress; We the People Nigeria; Yes Electorates Solidarity; Youth Party and Zenith Labour Party
Considering that the 2019 General Election is only months away, some observers have said the new parties are not likely to make as much impact as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was in power from 1999-2015 and the relatively ‘smaller’ parties which have been in existence and have some elected officials, including a governor and members of the National Assembly. But, some informed observers, who spoke to us during the week, said the political theatre has become so complex that even the newly registered political parties cannot be completely dismissed in view of the fact that some top politicians, who allegedly sponsored their formation as a backup, may use them to pull some stunts during and after the elections.
Many agree that their coming on board and possible alliance with older parties in 2019 will definitely have some far-reaching consequences for the political space, players and stakeholders at the grassroots level, states and even at the presidential elections. For example, it is being projected that the smaller parties have been waiting in the wings to benefit from the post-primary crises that is feared may cause disagreements within the two leading parties. The anxiety is that as soon as the primaries for different elective offices are over, more aggrieved members and losers would defect and pick up the tickets of the smaller parties. This scenario is already being played out in Osun State for example, which will hold its governorship election on September 22, 2019.
While it could be termed as waiting to reap from where they didn’t sow, a chieftain of one of the newly registered parties confided that the situation could not have been any different.
“The APC and PDP have benefitted from that kind of situation in the past. So, if we do too, it is no big deal. It is nothing criminal or immoral. It is just the way politics is. If you lose somewhere, you can always go elsewhere to pick tickets,” he explained.
The chieftain added: “We are available to receive defectors from all parties. The more they fight at the other end, the better for us. We are willing to give them tickets at almost no cost, considering the cut-throat nomination forms they have to pick in the other parties.