Director-General of the forum of All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman has declared that both the federal lawmakers and governors are guilty of undermining internal democracy in their political parties.
The governors and federal lawmakers have been engaged in a cold war over the adoption of Direct Primaries by the National Assembly in the Electoral Act No. 6, 2010 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2021 passed by the Parliament.
Further investigation revealed that a meeting brokered by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and the leadership of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee between the APC governors and the leadership of the National Assembly ended in a deadlock.
Lukman in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday titled, “Internal Party Democracy and Politics of Candidates’ Nomination,” declared that both the governors and the lawmakers are two power blocs that have been identified as frustrating internal democracy in the dominant parties in the country.
He said: “Understandably, part of the sentiment informing the actions of members of the National Assembly is that Nigerians have little or zero confidence on the disposition of party leaders, who are alleged to be under the direct control of Governors.
Largely because of this perception there is an ongoing media campaign blackmailing Governors that they are the ones perpetrating all the bad practices associated with the indirect methods and therefore the reason why they are against the adoption of direct primary.
“The truth however is that with the state of things in APC whereby in virtually all states with serving Governors, they (Governors) are in charge. The proposed amended law with all its ambiguities would instead strengthen the capacity of Governors or any leader who is in control of structures of the party to manipulate the process of nominating candidates. In states such as Delta, Sokoto and Taraba, for instance, where there are no APC Governors, leading members of the party in the National Assembly are the people in charge. There are other states such as Adamawa, Rivers and Bayelsa and at least eight other states where Governors are not responsible for the possible undemocratic practices taking place.
“Besides, the issue of using the indirect method as a means of imposing candidates through corrupt practices, almost all elected representatives in the National Assembly are as guilty as Governors. From the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to all the APC and House Representatives members, they must have all paid for every vote they got during the internal party primary leading to their election. At that time, they must have been very good loyal partners of Governors.
“By the way, there are at least twelve former Governors currently serving as APC Senators. While negotiating to emerge as Senators, they must have also been working to ensure the emergence of their preferred choices who are currently serving as Governors through the dreaded indirect method. Could these former Governors who are currently serving as Senators claim to be innocent of all the undemocratic practices associated with the indirect method? Could the current serving Governors be the only promoters of the bad undemocratic practices of imposition, vote buying, etc. through the indirect method?”
While he maintained that promotion of democracy was not at the heart of the crusade for direct primaries by the lawmakers, the Director of the Progressive Governors Forum called on the leadership of political parties to seize the initiative to ensure good working relationship between the governors and the federal lawmakers from their states.
‘Part of the underlying problems of Nigerian democracy is the problem of poor relation between members of executive and legislative branches. There is always a constant fight between Governors and members of the National Assembly of almost all states. Poor relationship between Governors and members of the National Assembly from states is partly responsible for high turnover rates of elected Senators and House of Representatives members. The turnover rate is estimated to be as high as 80%.
Other factors that must be responsible for the high turnover rates would also include personal lifestyles of many elected representatives, which alienate them from their constituents. “The relationship between most elected representatives and their constituents is largely transactional, which produce envy and, in many respects, undermined their electoral viability. On both the two issues of poor relationship between Governors and elected representatives, on the one hand, and relationship with constituents, how can the adoption of direct primary address the problem of high turnover rates?
“As things are, based on proposed new Section 87 of the amended Electoral Act, which leave many open spaces for manipulation in the law, problems of internal democracy within parties may only get worse. Resolution of all the challenges of internal democracy within political parties require high measure of honesty from political leaders at all levels. It will be highly insincere for members of the National Assembly to attempt to play the ostrich by pushing the blame of lack of internal democracy within parties to only Governors. Once that is the case, instead of party leaders working as a united body to ensure that the adoption of direct method of electing party leaders and candidates for elections produce a truly new democratic framework, which eliminate problems of vote-buying, imposition and all the vices associated with the indirect method, it can only potentially be another source of pains and disappointment for party members and Nigerians.”
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