WorldStage Newsonline– Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on political parties to uphold democratic principles in their internal processes.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said at the launch of a book: “100 Years of Political Parties Evolution in Nigeria, 1923 – 2023’’ by Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Thursday in Abuja that nternal democracy within political parties was the foundation upon which credible general elections were built.
Yakubu, represented by the National Commissioner in-charge of Election and Party Monitoring, Sam Olumekun urged political parties to conduct their activities in accordance/compliance with the legal framework – the Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022 and as well as INEC regulations and guidelines.
According to him, political parties form the cornerstone of a democratic society and serve a function, unlike any other institution in a democracy.
The INEC chairman also identified conduct of credible primary elections as one of the key responsibilities of political parties.
“Effective leadership recruitment is made possible only when eligible persons with capacity are selected through duly conducted party primaries and put forward for elections.
“When political parties uphold democratic principles in their internal processes, it enhances public confidence in the electoral system and strengthens democratic governance.
“Unfortunately, we have witnessed instances where lack of internal democracy has led to disputes, litigations and disruptions in the electoral process,” he said.
Yakubu, therefore, said that it was imperative that political parties remained committed to transparent, fair and credible primaries as the county was moving toward future elections.
“I urge all political parties to strengthen their internal governance mechanisms and ensure that their processes reflect the will of their members.
“A democratic society begins with democratic political parties. Political parties must invest in building strong and law-abiding institutions with distinct ideological leanings rather than in installing behemoths,’’ he said.
The INEC chairman urged political parties, civil society organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to actively support and advocate for necessary legislative amendments that would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and make it more inclusive.
He commended IPAC for the initiative of writing the book and those who contributed to its success.
Yakubu said that the publication was not only a celebration of Nigeria’s political journey but also, a profound contribution to the discourse on democratic consolidation in the county.
He expressed INEC’s commitment to continuing to work with IPAC and other stakeholders to ensure free and fair elections a
and that Nigeria’s democracy continued to grow from strength to strength.
A former Senate President, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, in his keynote address entitled: “The Imperative of Nigeria’s Political Stability: Issues and Solutions,”, said the need for a stable Nigeria “is dire and inescapable.”
Anyim said that Nigerians could no longer blame the colonial masters for its challenges after 64 years of independence, stressing that rather, they owed themselves the responsibility to build the country.
He identified the inability of Nigeria to effectively manage its plural composition and lift national consciousness over and above ethnic interests as the basis for every other factor affecting the progress and stability of the country.
Anyim, also a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said that Nigeria’s journey to nationhood had been one of the struggles to manage its differences under a system that offered confidence and accommodation to all.
Anyim stated that Nigeria, as a complex and heterogenous/plural country, needed national dialogue to inspire national patriotism and get rid of mutual distrust among the various ethnic nationalities.
“It behooves this generation of leaders and elites to establish that dialogue and reach that consensus that Nigeria surely needs to rid herself and her component parts of the mutual suspicions.
“Nigeria needs to get rid of distrust and antagonisms that have retarded her growth into the stable nation and contending global power she has every potential to be,’’ he said.
The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Matthew Kukah, who was the book reviewer, was represented by the Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi.
