Mr. Tanko says it condemnable that only five out of the 25 registered political parties are allotted slots at the National Conference.

The Chairman Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Yunusa Tanko, has described as “unjust” the composition of the delegates to the National Conference.

He made this known in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday.

“We condemn the structure in which only five out of the 25 registered political parties are allocated 10 delegates,” he said.

The modalities released by the Federal Government showed that the five major parties with representation in the National Assembly are to nominate two delegates each to represent them at the National Conference.

Mr. Tanko said this decision came as surprise to other political parties because all of them supported the idea of a National Conference.

“We believe in the conference because it will give Nigerians another leeway into a democratic setting.

“It is unfair on the part of the government to give special consideration to five out of the 25 political parties; it doesn’t make sense at all.

“This is because the voice of the five parties will be heard and that of the remaining 20 will not be heard.

“The Federal Government has an opportunity now to change that position by involving all the political parties,” he said.

Mr. Tanko, who is also the National Chairman of the National Conscience Party, NCP, said if all the political parties were invited by the government then every view would be reflected.

“There should be fairness in administration because the other political parties are registered by law, except if there is another undertone to the segmentation of political parties in the country.

“We call on the federal government to look at this inequality and redress it as quickly as possible in the interest of democracy,” he said.

“If the government believes in the indivisibility of Nigeria and some groups are alienated, then you are already causing division in the country.”

Mr. Tanko said three months was enough for Nigerians to discuss the country’s problems and proffer solutions to them.

(NAN)