… Says it’s an assault on supremacy of political parties to determine mode of nominating candidates
The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) opposes the Senate passage of direct primary for all political parties in nominating candidates for election in the country.
It’s arbitrary, counter productive and an assault on our emerging democracy which erodes the supremacy of organs of political parties to decide on mode of nominating candidates in tandem with provisions of their constitutions.
IPAC in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary Ambassador Agbo Major said that placing a fiat order on all political parties by the Senate to use direct primary is not only an affront on the right and liberty of political parties to decide how their candidates emerges for secondary elections but a deliberate attempt to kill young political parties that are set to displace the old political parties championing this following their remarking showing in some elections.
“It is unfortunate that the Senate again has been dissipating energy in wild goose chase while amending the Electoral Act by interfering in the internal affairs of political parties. Imposing direct primary on parties is a giant step backward in our collective efforts at building a strong, virile, progressive and enduring democracy in Nigeria.
It has been an uphill task for new political parties to conduct indirect primaries in nominating candidates for elections due to financial constraint as the same national legislators removed grant to political parties in previous amendment of the constitution.
The financial cost of direct primary that involves all registered members of a political party in the constituency the election will hold is enormous which only parties in government can afford. It will suffocate new parties and impede the nation’s democratic advancement.”
IPAC calls on the Senate to review its stand on mandatory direct primary and reverse it in the interest of our emerging democracy. Political parties should be at liberty to adopt any mode of nominating their candidates for elections, anything short of this is an invitation to anarchy, confusion and political upheavals
IPAC as the umbrella body of the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria has been in the vanguard for transparency, credibility of the electoral processes and good governance. Council will continue to pursue this laudable objective in the interest of the nation. We are all in it together. Together, we will make Nigeria great again.
