NANFeatures/Vol.11/No.118/2017 (Aug. 7)
Promoting party internal democracy for sustainable political development
A News Analysis by Emmanuel Oloniruha, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Political analysts observe that although Nigeria has enjoyed uninterrupted democratic rule for 18 years, lack of internal democracy among political parties is contentious.
According to them, absence of internal democracy or intra-party democracy has telling negative effects on both political and economic development of the country.
Worried by this, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), an umbrella of registered political parties in Nigeria chose “Internal Party Democracy: A Recipe to a Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria’’, as the theme of its second annual conference recently.
Political leaders, major stakeholders in politics, including governors attended the conference held in Abuja on Aug. 1.
In his remark, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, said promoting internal democracy in political parties had been a challenge with Nigeria since the return of civilian rule in 1999.
He said while the country’s democracy and parties were still young, political parties were grappling with challenges of party building, party structures and internal democracy.
“The absence of internal democracy in our parties is a major reason why our democracy remains fragile and why the quality of leadership has not matched our expectations and the challenges facing us as a nation.
“Internal party democracy is important enough that it was one of the areas addressed by the Electoral Reform Committee headed by Justice Mohammed Uwais many years ago,’’ Abubakar said.
According to him, such reform and its recommendations would further strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ensure that votes count and encourage parties to field popular candidates in elections.
“That, in turn, will encourage parties to allow internal democracy so that members will have the freedom to choose and express their opinions.
“Thus, the role of godfathers and executive intrusion in the affairs of parties and elections will be diminished,’’ he said.
He added that any political party that constricted the freedom of its members could not really offer freedom to the citizens of the nation
“For a number of years now, we have had political parties which hardly hold meetings of their important organs.
“This is not certainly a way to democratise parties and aggregate their members’ opinions, interests and aspirations.
“Lack of internal democracy in political parties is one of the reasons for the fraught relationships among parties and their elected representatives, the legislature and the executive.
“Such anomalies will reduce if internal democracy flourishes in our political parties and by extension the wider society,’’ he said.
In a keynote address, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC, said lack of internal democracy among political parties was evident in their inability to conduct proper primaries.
He also said building a stronger democracy started with political parties that were responsible for sponsoring candidates for elections.
`From the 2015 elections, 80 elections were nullified by the courts for re-run; while 37 others were also upturned by courts with order on INEC to issue certificates of return to the petitioners.
“We have studied the various judgments and discovered that most of the elections were upturned due to the failure of political parties to conduct proper primaries or follow the outcome,’’ Yakubu said.
He said although INEC had no power to reject any candidate presented to it by a political party, the court had been playing the role by nullifying their elections.
He, however, observed that elections were nullified at the expense of the country which would conduct re-run elections.
“In addition to proper primaries, parties should also comply with the requirements of the law. I am appealing to parties to be guided by certain judgments of the Supreme Court.
“INEC will continue to discharge its responsibilities; the vote you cast will continue to determine who wins and the commission would never fail Nigerians,’’ he assured the public.
Yakubu, therefore, urged political parties to ensure that their primaries were properly conducted in accordance with the provisions of the law.
IPAC Chairman Mohammed Nalado, in his welcome address, called on party leaders and members to imbibe democratic culture to strengthen the country’s democracy.
He frowned at the rate of electoral violence and inter-party conflict in the country, underscoring the importance of dialogue to settle inter and intra-party disputes.
He expressed optimism that the conference would go a long way in addressing the lack of internal democracy within political parties in the country.
Also, Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State described internal democracy as the backbone of democracy.
Abubakar said it was important for practitioners of party politics to ensure that their parties adhered to the principles of internal party democracy.
Similarly, Mr Segun Ogunyanwo, the Registrar Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, advised political parties to set up Alternative Dispute Resolution Department to settle internal disputes.
He described Alternative Dispute Resolution as one of the speedy and effective means of resolving conflicts, including those within political parties.
The highpoint of the conference included the presentation of IPAC prestigious awards to some state governors, including that of Bauchi State, Delta and Abia.
By and large, analysts note that if internal democracy is embraced and practised by political parties, the citizens will reap more of the dividends of democracy.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)