Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, is backing a bill seeking to divest the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of power to register and regulate the funding of political parties.
Instead of INEC, the Speaker and other stakeholders in the electoral process, have canvassed for an independent body to assume such responsibilities.
Abbas bemoaned a situation in which political parties have become a means of wealth creation for those running them.
The Speaker spoke on Monday in Abuja, at a workshop organised for the House Committee on Political Party Matters.
The event, woven around a Bill, the Political Parties Bill (HB 1862), was organised by Yiaga Africa, in collaboration with the European Union and the Kukah Centre.
Represented by the member representing Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency, Ishaya Lalu, the Speaker called for the strengthening of legislations relating to the registration of parties.
“The INEC has the power to register political parties, but there is a need to strengthen the legislation. In some instances, political party funding in Nigeria is taken over by wealthy individuals as investments.
“Those who make the investments, either as businessmen or politicians, hijack the political parties or impose candidates on the parties during the electoral process.
“There cannot be a democracy where there is no internal democratic process through which candidates for elections emerge at the level of the political parties.
“It therefore follows that as we review our party registration and regulation processes, we must also be able to fashion a new logic that supports whatever decision that we must take in advancing the bill for an act to provide for the establishment of an independent authority for the registration, regulation and funding of political parties in Nigeria,” the Speaker said.
According to him, the registration and regulation of political parties will promote transparency and accountability.
He added that it would also separate the regulatory function from government control, and domicile it in an independent body that will not be partisan in holding political parties accountable for things like campaign financing sources of funding.
Continuing, he said, “The decision of the House to initiate discussion through the consideration of the Bill is a response to the popular demand that political parties should function as true agents of democratic consolidation in our nation.
“The registration of political parties entails regulation to ensure discipline and financial management limits. It is trite that those who register political parties must also find reasons to regulate their activities, especially their funding.
“This Bill is meant to bridge these gaps in our legislation. The Bill proposes that the registration and regulation of political parties will promote transparency and accountability, separate the regulatory function from government control, and domicile it in an independent body that will not be partisan.
“It has also been said that such regulations will promote fairness and impartiality as an independent body will strictly apply the rules and continually mete out punishment for transgressions. This is expected to promote public trust in the political party system and improve governance as the people will become active funders of their political parties. Perhaps, too, it will reduce corruption.”
The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo said the bill, if passed into law, would reform the party system in the country.
Itodo sought the commitment of the lawmakers to the passage of the bill.
“The bill is an attempt to reform our party system to deliver on good governance, accountability, and transparency,” he added.
Itodo emphasised Nigeria’s strategic position on Africa’s politics, warning that weak political parties undermine democracy.
“Our parties are built around individuals, not institutions, making them easily captured,” he said.
He called for stronger systems to ensure ideological coherence and public participation.
Also, the Executive Director of The Kukah Centre, Atta Barkindo, described the bill as a timely opportunity to strengthen internal democracy and institutionalise reforms that are long overdue.
“The quality of political party operations directly impacts the integrity of our elections,” he said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Political Matters, Zakari Nyampa, noted that unregulated primaries often lead to crises within parties.
“This bill is key to ensuring accountability, transparency, and proper regulation of political party funding, underscoring its importance for Nigeria’s evolving democracy,” he noted.
Also speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Dantalle called for greater public engagement on the bill, noting that it has yet to be uploaded online for scrutiny.
Dantalle stressed the need for stakeholders to thoroughly assess the legislation to ensure it reflected citizens’ aspirations.
He disclosed that IPAC plans to convene a General Assembly to discuss the bill and present its position to the National Assembly.