By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Aug 26 1998 (IPS)

Nigeria moved one step towards democracy this week with the release of a time-table for voters registration and the elections that will usher in a civilian government.

The Chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Justice Ephraim Akpata, announced in Abuja Tuesday that a new voters registration exercise will take place in October, and on December 5, 1998, the nation will go to the polls for local government elections.

Elections for state governors will be held in January 1999, while the national assembly and presidential polls are scheduled for February 20, 1999 and February 27, 1999 respectively.

The announcement of the polls marks another step in the military regime of General Abdusalam Abubakar’s commitment to return the country to civilian rule. The poll dates are two months before the military said it would return to the barracks.

Nigeria’s last election was held in 1993, but the military annulled the poll before the results were announced. The late Chief Moshood Abiola was widely believed to have won the 1993 presidential polls.

But the upcoming elections process will not be smooth sailing as shown already by the squabble that has erupted between the INEC and politicians hoping to form political parties.

The INEC has spelt out guidelines for the registration of political parties, which most politicians see as unnecessary.

Bolge Ige, former civilian governor of the western state of Oyo, says there should be no need for parties to register. “Parties formed by citizens need only to be recognised as such by the commission,” Ige says.

INEC’s guidelines stipulate that political associations must pay 100,000 Naira (about 1,250 U.S. dollars) to get provisional approval to function as a political party, but unlike in the past, they need not show their spread, or have a particular number of card carrying members to get approval.

For full registration, the political parties must then receive at least 10 percent of the votes in 24 states during the local government elections.

This process is a marked departure from the late Sani Abacha’s regime when political associations were required to show proof of voters’ registration and offices in all state and local governments, with headquarters in Abuja, the federal capital, before being registered as a political party.

“INEC should provide rules to govern campaigns, not to govern parties,” Ige, a senior advocate, argues. But Akpata points out that the registration of parties is not new in Nigeria.

Abubakar’s political performance, so far, has received high marks from the international community, which had labelled Nigeria a political pariah during Abacha’s rein.

On Monday, Canada announced that it would offer financial and technical assistance for Nigeria’s political transition programme.

“In effect, Canada is re-establishing some measure of diplomatic relations. The statements and initial measures undertaken by Gen. Abubakar over the past two months have given hope to friends of Nigeria that the country is on a course for meaningful democratic reform,” says Lloyd Axworthy, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Canada cut aid to Nigeria in 1995 and moved its embassy in 1997. But it has continued to support pro-democracy groups.

The United States and Britain have also praised the new regime in Nigeria for its reconciliation efforts and swift moves to bring about political reform in the West African nation.

Unlike Abacha, Abubakar also has stepped outside of Africa’s most populous nation to further cooperation with other African nations.

The Nigerian leader is currently in South Africa on his first official visit abroad, where he has assured the South African government of his commitment to democratic reform.

President Nelson Mandela Monday praised Abubakar, saying: “I also have been in touch with some of the leaders in West Africa and all of them are of the unanimous opinion that you (Nigerians) have a man who is going to bring democracy back to Nigeria.”

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