Politics
INEC Tasks Parties On Internal Democracy
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says proper internal democratic practice among political parties will solve 80 per cent of electoral challenges in the country.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, said this in a welcome address at the opening of a workshop in Enugu on Wednesday.
Participants at the workshop include the Heads of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department in INEC state offices from the 17 states in the southern part of the country.
Ononamadu said that the workshop was critical to the ongoing reforms in INEC, especially for political parties, to always abide by the electoral law guiding all stakeholders concerned with elections.
According to him, bad internal democracy within parties, most time, snowballs beyond internal wrangling but affect the outer society and entire electoral process.
“With proper internal, there will be less disagreement during elections.
“Those that win or lose in a well laid out internal party primaries, according to the electoral law, will agree that the process is fair and credible.
“And there will be fewer disagreements on results.
“However, in a situation where internal democracy is lacking, there will be internal party disagreement or wrangling would start affecting the entire system.
“There will be chaos and violence emanating from different groups that feel cheated or denied in the political party.
“The violence will lead to low turnout of voters, and while in the post-election period, there will be electoral suits and counter electoral suits from the same political party,’’ Ononamadu said.
The REC noted that there was a need for officers in the EPM department to be proactive; start monitoring and guiding the political parties according to the electoral law on time during the pre-election period.
“Political parties must have good management and administration of its affairs as well as a good audit of its events and resources including finances for them to have fewer problems as well as be stable.’’
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, EPM Department in Abuja, Mr Shehu Wahab, said that the workshop was meant to prepare the participants for the task ahead.
It also meant to ensure that political parties get it right from the onset.
Wahab also thanked the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) for supporting INEC to facilitate the workshop “which is meant to drive the wheel of reform in the electoral system’’.
In a goodwill message, the ECES Deputy Project Coordinator, Mr Wilson Manji said that the centre had been at the forefront of supporting INEC to get the electoral process right and engender free, fair and credible elections.
Manji stressed the need for the EPM department to keep the political parties in check-in line with the electoral law.
“The workshop, at the end of the day, will awaken them to their responsibility and guide them on how to carry out their responsibility more effectively.
“This will ultimately check internal political party fractions and make them be committed to abiding with the electoral law,’’ he added.
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
She made the declaration during an interview with Nigerian football legend, Mr Segun Odegbami, during a live radio interview on Saturday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who is also former commissioner in the state, ruled out a return to the Senate, stating that her focus was firmly on the governorship race.
“So, moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it. And I’m not going to go back to the Senate,” she said.
“Like the Americans would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it.”
The politician also confirmed that she recently joined the APC, explaining that her return to active politics followed persistent calls from supporters.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back,’” she added.
Her declaration sets the stage for what may become a keenly contested governorship race in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.
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