2023: ‘LP/NNPP Merger Threatened Over INEC Regulations’

The Labor Party, LP and the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP merger might face some difficulties due to certain regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the NNPP earlier confirmed on Saturday morning that his party was planning a merger with LP and Peter Obi.

He had said: “We are in talks with Peter Obi and a committee is working to look into how to form a merger between us.

“The merger is important because as you can see both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not pick their running mates from the South-East.”

In an interview with Daily Post, Nicholas Ibekwe, a journalist with Premium Times said that regulations by INEC might make the merger legally impossible.

He said: “First a new party via a merger cannot be formed in time for the election.

“INEC regulation prohibits the registration of a political party less than a year before an election.

“But they can collapse their structure to support one another for specific positions eg, the presidency,”

Meanwhile, Deji Adeyanju, a popular socio-political commentator based in Abuja, has stated via a tweet that an agreement should be reached between Peter Obi and Kwankwaso to make the merger possible.

He wrote: “The merger with the Labour Party and NNPP should have Obi as president and Kwankwaso as VP.

“That’s the only thing that makes sense.”