BEVERLY HILLS, August 02, (THEWILL) – A former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday noted that the loyalty of some Nigerians occupying legislative and executive positions rests with godfathers who sponsored them to office, and not with their political parties as those godfathers may even be in a rival political party.
Speaking as Chairman of the second Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC, Annual Conference 2017 on Internal Party Democracy, he observed that the absence of internal democracy had made APC and other parties in the country bullying and undemocratic.
The former Vice President, who noted that this problem is as old as the current democratic dispensation, maintained that the development poses challenge to the nation’s democracy.
His words, “The absence of internal democracy in our parties is a major reason our democracy remains fragile and why the quality of leadership that we produce has not matched our expectations and the challenges facing us as a nation. It is also one of the reasons it has been difficult to hold leaders to account.
“Lack of internal democracy is one of the reasons for the sour relationships among parties, their elected representatives, the legislature and the executive.
“The loyalty of some in the legislature and executive lies not with the party, but with a godfather who sponsored them and the godfather may even be in a rival political party. Such anomalies will reduce if internal democracy flourishes in our political parties and by extension, the wider society.
“The issue of internal democracy in our political parties has been with us for a long time, indeed, since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999. In long-established democracies, those statements would seem trite. But, I recognise that our democracy is young and our parties are also rather young.
“As a result, they are still wrestling with issues of party building, party structures, internal democracy and the nature of the relationship between parties and members, parties and legislatures, parties and government as well as among parties themselves.
“We had a very long period of authoritarian rule in Nigeria, ending in 1999. The legacy of that period is still with us as can be seen in our various governance institutions. Indeed, even elements of that authoritarian past still wield power and influence in our country as we try to transition from that legacy.
“Also, the structure of our economy is such that the state remains the most important source of economic opportunity. This heightens the struggle for state power and helps to shape the relationship between parties and members, among parties and various arms of government. It is, therefore, a huge challenge to democratise governance and political parties in our country.”
In an address of welcome, the IPAC chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Nalado highlighted the importance of dialogue in inter and intra parties dispute and called on party leaders and members of political parties to imbibe democratic culture in order to strengthen the country’s democracy.
This was as he frowned upon election violence which have so often blighted democratic development in the country.
Aside calling on political parties to maintain internal democracy, the Chairman of the umbrella body of Nigeria’s political parties also harped on national unity saying that “without unity we can achieve nothing”.
He also called on political parties to be gender sensitive by encouraging women into party leadership positions and urged parties to present them for elections as candidates.
Nalado equally stressed on the need to enlarge the political space to accommodate the youths and the physically challenged in the democratic process and policy decisions.
