New parties join Nigeria's election fray

There is fear that elections will be marred by violence

By Dan Isaacs BBC Nigeria correspondent

After many months of legal and political wrangling the Nigerian electoral commission has announced the names of three new parties eligible to take part in forthcoming elections.

Obasanjo is seeking new allies

In total there will now be six parties competing in local, state and national elections to be held in Nigeria over the coming months.

The current government of President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected three years ago, following almost two decades of military rule.

Mr Obasanjo is seeking a second term in office in the presidential poll to be held by April next year.

Lining up

Even at this early stage in the election process, there are already winners and losers.

Only three out of 24 parties that applied for registration have been approved by the electoral commission.

Barring successful legal challenges, this then is the line up: three new parties, the NDP - National Democratic Party, the UNPP - the United Nigeria People's Party, and finally the APGA - the All Progressive Grand Alliance.

Up to 10,000 people have died in Nigerian clashes in the past three years

Add to this the current ruling People's Democratic Party and two others already in existence - the Alliance for Democracy and the All Peoples Party - and you have a veritable spaghetti soup of parties to choose from.

As for what distinguishes these parties, ideologically or ethnically, Nigerians are still very much in the dark.

Even within the ruling PDP, alliances are rapidly shifting, as President Obasanjo seeks new allies across the country for his second term bid.

Paradox

And as for ideology, it clearly here takes a firm back seat to political ambition.

The widespread expectation is that these elections will be marred by fraud and violence.

It is a pessimistic perspective, but supported by the fact that no post-independence civilian administration has ever held successful elections.

But if there is some comfort to be drawn from the present democratic system, it is that even the present three parties do not simply represent distinct ethnic divisions, but rather complex business, political and ethnic alliances.

And also that all through the civil war, military rule, and now the civilian era, Nigeria has remained remarkably stable, despite being home to more than 250 different ethnic groups.