The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has raised concerns over the lack of internal democracy within political parties, warning that weak primary elections pose a serious threat to Nigeria\u2019s electoral system.<\/p>\n
Yakubu made this assertion on Thursday at the public presentation of a book titled \u201cCelebrating 100 Years of Political Party Evolution in Nigeria: The Imperatives of Nigeria\u2019s Political Stability \u2013 Issues and Solutions,\u201d an event organised by the Inter-Party Advisory Council\u00a0 in Abuja.<\/p>\n
The INEC chairman emphasised that transparent, fair, and credible primaries are crucial for strengthening democracy, noting that poorly conducted primaries have led to widespread disputes, litigations, and instability in Nigeria\u2019s electoral process.<\/p>\n
Yakubu said, \u201cA democratic society cannot thrive if political parties fail to practice democracy internally.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen political parties uphold democratic principles, it enhances public confidence in the electoral system and strengthens democratic governance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yakubu stressed that political parties remain the bedrock of democracy, as no candidate can contest elections without party sponsorship.<\/p>\n
He warned that internal party irregularities weaken electoral credibility, thereby undermining governance.<\/p>\n
The INEC boss also reiterated the need for urgent electoral reforms, revealing that the commission is working closely with the National Assembly to review key aspects of the Electoral Act.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise that electoral reforms are not the sole responsibility of INEC or the National Assembly. Political parties, civil society organisations, and all well-meaning Nigerians must actively support and advocate for necessary legislative amendments that will strengthen our democracy,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Yakubu challenged political actors to push for legislative amendments that would enhance election transparency and accountability, urging IPAC and political stakeholders to take the lead in championing reforms that ensure Nigeria\u2019s elections are fair, just, and representative.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging the longstanding collaboration between INEC and IPAC, Yakubu commended the council for fostering dialogue between political parties and the electoral commission.<\/p>\n
However, he stressed that more work is needed to ensure Nigeria\u2019s democracy evolves in line with global best practices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has raised concerns over the lack of internal democracy within political parties, warning that weak primary elections pose a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n