TheCable

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) says most impositions of candidates on political parties are sponsored by godfathers.

Yusuf Mamman, newly elected IPAC chair, said this on Tuesday at a consultative meeting of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with leaders of political parties.

The meeting held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, and focused on the off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, scheduled for September 21 and November 16 respectively.

Speaking at the meeting, Mamman said the performance of opposition political parties in recent elections was cause for confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.

He, however, said vote selling and buying, thuggery, voter apathy and intimidation of electoral officials to declare results under duress, are still issues militating against the conduct of credible polls in Nigeria.

He said the leadership of IPAC would live up to its mandate to ensure an environment conducive for the conduct of successful elections in future.

“In this regard, IPAC will be proactive to ensure that the Edo and Ondo states gubernatorial elections meet the expectations of Nigerians and the international community. There should be no excuse for poor performance,” he said.

Speaking further, the chairman said it is unfortunate that funds that should have been deployed to deepen party politics and structures in the country are spent on avoidable litigations that distract and destabilise most political parties.

“Most of these factionalisations and imposition of candidates are sponsored by notorious godfathers and reactionary forces from other political parties to ensure they conquer the electoral process,” he said.

“This must be resisted by all lovers of democracy in Nigeria. It is time to sanitise the electoral system, ensure integrity of elections that will reinforce citizens’ confidence in the nation’s emerging democracy.

“The state of the nation is worrisome and calls for patriotism to redirect the ship of the Nigerian state to the path of growth and development. There is hunger in the land. This is a trying period for our beloved nation.

“As leaders of political parties, so much is expected of us in brainstorming, articulating, formulating and proposing alternative policies and programmes that will accelerate economic growth, political stability, religious harmony and security of citizens in the fatherland.

“The task of rebuilding the nation is the responsibility of the populace, irrespective of political affiliations. We should reaffirm our faith in the fatherland and rededicate ourselves to the service of the nation.

“If political party leaders had been proactive in responding to national issues and engaging governments at all levels on ill-conceived and anti-people policies and actions, proffered alternative course of actions, perhaps the country would not have been in this sorry state.

“Unfortunately, we allowed partisan politics to becloud our sense of patriotism.

“This is what my leadership of IPAC is set to address, in collaboration with leaders of political parties, and stakeholders in the democratic process.”