Except something urgent is done to improve internal democracy in political parties in the country, the democratic experience in the country may suffer a major setback.
This was disclosed in a statement by the National Chairman of the Mega Progressive Peoples Party, MPPP, Dare Falade, adding that Nigeria’s democracy was won at a very high cost, and as such, “no political party or individual should be allowed to truncate it.”
MPPP boss insisted that absence of justice and lack of internal democracy within parties were the cause of violence and the growing fear in the land, expressing concern that some parties forced candidates on the members instead of giving room for the people to choose their candidates.
Falade said: “As a political party, founded to propagate democracy and the Rule of Law, we condemn injustice, fraud and impunity wherever we notice them in any political party. As key actors in the politics of Imo State and Nigeria, we observed with great dismay that figures did not reflect actual valid votes cast in the Imo PDP governorship primaries. It is sad to note that Senator Ifeanyi Araraume who actually won the primaries (336 votes against Emeka Ihedioha’s 325) was not declared. It is also appalling that in spite of the fact that Senator Araraume went to court to file a suit seeking that he be declared winner following the results, the PDP national leadership handed the flag over to Ihedioha. This is subjudice and portends danger to the general elections which the MPPP is participating in. Handing over the flag to Ihedioha, when the matter over who actually won the primaries is still in court is a form of impunity which the judiciary must condemn and punish,” he said.
He also called on the judiciary to compel the PDP and its leaders to respect the laws regarding primaries and the entire electoral process, insisting that the judiciary must take action in the matter and others alike, as “it is the last hope of the aggrieved.
“Let the courts do justice and save our democracy. If nothing is done, political parties will continue to trample on the rights of Nigerians and rob them of their resources under the guise of conducting primaries,” Falade said
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