The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said over 100 political parties may feature on the ballot paper in the forthcoming 2019 General Elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said this yesterday in Abuja at an Elections Stakeholders’ Summit organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), DFID and Christian Aid Nigeria under the auspices of the Voice to the People (V2P) project.

Yakubu said 138 political associations had applied for registration as political parties.

He also said personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have been deployed to voter registration centres across the country leading to arrests of over 300 foreigners attempting to register.

Yakubu said as, at May 24, an estimated 9 million voters were added to the voters’ register bringing the total number to an estimated 80 million.

He said the commission was collaborating with security agencies and formulating administrative procedures to check incidences of vote-buying at polling centres.

The INEC boss said the commission lacks powers to stop political associations from applying to register as a political parties saying “As at the 8th of this month, we have received requests from 138 associations to register as political parties to join the already 68 registered political parties, so we may have more than the 68 registered political parties before the 2019 General Elections.” (Daily Trust)

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