The Director-General of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman has blasted political parties in the country over their shoddy management of electoral processes within their systems and failures to entrench democratic spirit.
Lukman stated this in a paper titled, ‘Internal Democracy in Political Parties and Prospects for New Nigeria,’ which was made public, in Abuja on Sunday.
He says while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is making progress in improving elections, political parties keep going backwards.
Lukman said, “Although progress is being made to enhance the processes of election management in the country, management of political parties remained very backward.
“The practice across all Nigerian parties is that political leaders aspiring to contest elections for political offices recruit members.
“The aspiring political leader influences choices of party leaders based on estimation of loyalty.
“The loyalists who emerge as political leaders, in turn, become delegates during party primary for the selection of candidates for election, who then confirmed the aspiring political leader as the party’s candidate for election.
“Issues of membership participation and internal party democracy are compromised, professional management of political parties doesn’t exist, and disciplinary conduct of members and leaders are sacrificed.”
