The Delta state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the state government for the steps it has taken to get registered political parties in the state to live up to their responsibilities.
The state chairman of the party, Barrister Kingsley Esiso, gave the commendation in Asaba when he received the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Inter Party Relations, Honourable Efe Tobor, who visited with some officials of his office to verify the existence of the State Secretariat of the party.
Barrister Esiso, who was represented by the State Organising Secretary of the party, Chief Sunday Onoriode, said experience had shown that some political parties only existed in name, with no identifiable addresses.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not register the parties for fun, but to add value to the electoral process, adding that they could only contribute to the system if they had befitting offices and conducive work environment.
Barrister Esiso said as a responsible political party the PDP had a befitting state Secretariat in Asaba, with a well furnished office for each of the 14 State Executive Committee members, 13 other offices for committee assignments and a staff strength of over 60.
Other party chairmen, including Ambassador Peters Emuakpoje of Independent Democrats (ID), Deacon Victor Egwuenu of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Chief Andrew Nkwor of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Engineer Peter Ofili of We The People Nigeria (WTPN) and Mr Felix Okei of New Progressive Movement (NPM) described the verification exercise as a tradition that should be sustained to whip the political parties to line and identify the unserious ones.
The party chairmen commended the SSA for piloting the affairs of his office without fear or favour and appealed to the Governor to appoint a Special Adviser for the Inter Party Relations office.
The Senior Special Assistant on Inter Party Relations, Honourable Efe Tobor, reiterated that the verification exercise was aimed at strengthen the partnership between the parties and the state government, adding that the government would want to be sure of the presence of the parties in the state through their offices.
He said the level of attention each party would receive from government would depend on the quality of its office and advised the party chairmen to make their offices to befit their status.
At the end of Wednesday’s verification seven out of the 26 political party offices visited were categorized in group A.
They are ID, MRDD, NCP, PPN, MPN, PDP and PPA, while DPC FJP, GDPN, GPN, HDP, LPN, MAJA, NCMP, NPM, NRM, PDC, SNC, and WTPN were rated B.
In category C are NAC, UPN, NUP, NNPP, and NEPP, while RBNP has no office in the state.
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