The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has listed ways political parties in Nigeria can stop defection of party members from one party to another.
CACOL in a statement issued on Thursday by its Media and Publications Officer, Ikenna Aghagbob on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran urged political parties to adopt ideologies which all their intending members must embrace to stop defection of members.
Adeniran listed the immediate loss of any position gained on the basis of the original party’s ideology as one of the ideologies to be employed by political parties.
The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr Debo Adeniran made the suggestion on Wednesday in Lagos while reacting to the defection of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and Senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He stressed that the defection of senators and members of the House of Representatives from their present political party to the party they previously belonged was a clear indication of how confused lawmakers are with decision making.
The statement reads, “The APC presented the Change ideology to Nigerians in 2015. The ideology was aimed at holistically tackling corruption in the country at all levels. We can say that the APC’s ideology which is still visibly operational today is its mainstay in the anti-Corruption fight.
“The defection of these individuals from their present political party to the party they previously belonged to is a clear indication of how confused our lawmakers are with decision making and also an indictment on their actual intentions in contesting for elective positions.
“If a party member feels a political party is coming-short on its agenda or isn’t living-up to its promises, he must then realize that he is also a part of that party and has contributed one way or the other in the failure of its programmes and rather than jumping ship, he must see to the end, the desired performance expected of the party.
“While parties are being formed, there should be rules that would prevent members from defecting without proving beyond reasonable doubt that the political party has been truly factionalized.
“Another rule that must be introduced, perhaps through legislation is the immediate loss of any position gained on the basis of the original party’s ideology.
“Another rule should stipulate that a political party member must spend at least four years in the party before leaving that party.
“These measures would help to a very large extent to keep the abrupt and rather selfish defection of party members and in the long run, ensure that a member of a political party fulfils all obligations and promise owed in time of service.”
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