A former governor of Cross River, Mr Donald Duke, on Friday supported the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the de registration of political parties.
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He in Lagos said that it did not make sense for parties which had no followers to remain registered.
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Duke was reacting to the ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on July 30, which held that INEC had no constitutional powers to de register political parties.
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"If a political party does not have followership, just as companies are de-registered, such parties should be de-registered.
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"There are situations where people use such parties to contest for election because they lost primaries in their party," he said.
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According to him, 80 per cent of the political parties listed on the ballot papers during elections are not active.
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He argued that it was normal for INEC to de register such parties as they only constitute a nuisance to the polity.
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However, a Senator representing Ekiti-Central Senatorial District, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, urged INEC to abide by the decision of the court and reverse its earlier action.
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"Nobody is more powerful than the law; if the court rules that INEC has no power to de-register political parties, it should go back and undo what it has done," he said.
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Also commenting, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Rotimi Agunsoye, urged Nigerians not to entirely blame the commission for its action.
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"Some parties were de-registered because they did not meet the necessary requirements needed for a party to be registered.
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"However, the country needs as many political parties as possible, so that people can come out and make their choices during elections," he said.
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Mr Ayodele Adewale, Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, also said that if a law was created to register political parties, until that law was proscribed, INEC had no power to de-register parties.
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"If indeed a law was created to register political parties, until that law is proscribed, INEC can't de- register parties.
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"We must understand that we are governed by the rule of law," he added. (NAN)