A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ondo East/ Ondo West, Hon. Joseph Akinlaja, has said that the number of political parties in the countries are too many.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, Akinlaja, a Peoples Democratic Party member, however, said that the continuous registration of political parties was not the fault of the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying the electoral umpire was merely following the laws of the land.
He said, “I’m of the view that we have too many political parties. However, INEC should not be blamed for the registration of new political parties.
“INEC is just complying with the provision of the nation’s electoral act which stipulates certain criteria and conditions to be met by those wishing to float new political parties, and any group or association that met those criteria are bound to be registered by INEC.
“There is nothing anybody can do about the new parties, it is left for Nigerians to accept or reject them”.
The federal lawmaker also expressed sadness on killings by herdsmen, saying Nigeria was gradually being turned into a state of anarchy as a result of the killings and clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
“From Benue to Taraba, to Nasarawa, Zamfara and other places, including some places in the southern parts of the country, killings by the herdsmen have become a worrisome situation. But we must find a way to provide a lasting solution because farmers who plant crops do so in order to reap profits; for them, farming is a means of livelihood and also for the Fulani herdsmen, their cows must survive, they must graze. Then what is the solution?
“The solution is for cattle owners to start building ranches. Cattle rearing is a big business, a big commercial venture, so those who are involved must be ready to spend money to secure their business, and the only way to do that is for them to start building ranches as it is being done in other parts of the world.
“It is only here in Nigeria that cows have become kings of the road. They have become a big threat and nuisance to other road users”, Akinlaja said.
On the 2019 elections, Akinlaja said nobody should underrate the PDP, saying the party would bounce back in a very big way, “if the party leadership can get its acts right.”
