APC, PDP, others lack democratic credentials —Atiku

FORMER vice-president and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday offered a critique of major political parties in the country with a damning verdict: they are bereft of democratic credentials.

Speaking as chairman at an interactive session organized by the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, the former vice-president submitted that lack of internal democracy has been the major challenge of political parties in Nigeria, since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999.

Addressing the gathering of party chieftains,   the Waziri Adamawa, faulted the processes for the selection of candidates for general elections, as he noted that it was responsible for emergence into elective offices, those who could not meet up with expectations of the electorate.

‘’The absence of internal democracy in our parties is a major reason why 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 why it has been very difficult to hold leaders to account.’’

He further submitted that the prevailing skewed selection process in the political parties leading to emergence of uninspiring candidates was responsible for the disconnection between leadership of political parties, elected representatives at the national assembly and the executive arm of government.

‘’The lack of internal democracy in political parties is one of the reasons for the fraught relationships among parties and their elected representatives and 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 selection of leaders in a democracy is a serious business because so many other things ride on it. Whenever we get it wrong the nation or a part thereof suffers. We must strive to get it right most of the time. And it is the voters who should freely make that determination. ‘’

Turning to APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Shaibu Lawal, who represented the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the former  vice-president took a swipe at leadership of the ruling party for  keeping the party faithful in permanent suspense, by its failure to conduct meeting of vital statutory organs of the ruling party.

‘’Democracy is not just an idea; it is a cultural practice. For a number of years now we have had political parties, even governing ones, which hardly hold meetings of their important organs, including those meant for the democratic selection of their leadership, or even constitute institutions prescribed in their Constitution. In the absence of those meetings and elections, their existing leadership, often under the direction of the Executive at the state or federal level, fill the void. That’s not party building but party bullying.

And it’s certainly not a way to democratize parties and aggregate their members’ opinions, interests and aspirations.’’

In his contribution, keynote speaker at the event and chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, said that his Commission was determined to deregister ineffective political parties.

He also admonished political parties to consider giving priority to women and People Living with Disabilities while conducting party primaries to field candidates for elections.

He assured that INEC would continue to be courageous and always be on the side of Nigerians, saying that the Commission would not fail Nigerians. “Whoever win at the ballot box would be declared elected,” he further assured.

While thanking the IPAC for organizing the event Professor Yakubu urged all political parties to learn how to work together to promote democracy in Nigeria, as he noted that “the commission have been meeting with all political parties to see that democracy is maintained.”