The just concluded Presidential Primaries of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives ‘ Congress, (APC) have been adjudged as a show of shame and mockery.
A statement by the International Coalition for Deocracy and Good Governance, (ICDGG) described both exercises as lacking in every essence of democracy.
The statement signed by the organisation’s Executive Director, Barrister Emmanuel Anene noted that, “the two events were not only show of shame and mockery of democratic tenets, but has made Nigeria a laughing stock among the committee of Nations.
” lt was glaring that the Presidential primary elections of the two major parties, PDP and APC were heavily monetized and the highest bidders emerged flag bearers of the parties
“In advanced democracies, parties’ standard bearers at all levels are elected based on competence and capacity to perform in various offices they desire and not on the basis of how deep their pockets are” the statement stressed.
ICDGG however warned that the consequences of compromised and monetized electoral processes could not be overemphasized in that such would leave electorate with no choices of voting the right leaders into offices stressing that “no good choice would be made out of a highly corrupt processes such as witnessed in the primaries of PDP and APC”.
According to ICDGG, “the processes will certainly deepen the already growing aparty among the electorates who believe that their votes do not count and as such see no reason in participating in electioneering processes.
“This is unhealthy for our democratic journey and if not checked, it will provide opportunities for indivuduals with corrupt and unknown sources of wealth to perpetually hijack political leaderships and keep looting our treasury”.
The organisation also berated the anti corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for failure to swing into action by effecting arrests of both the delegates and the aspirants despite glaring evidences that there were heavy financial inducements to undulate voters.
ICDGG noted that the reported donation of N13 million by a PDP delegate from Kaduna who attended PDP Presidential primary election to his community and the subsequent use of vigilantes by a certain failed aspirant to recover his money from some delegates provided veritable leads for the Commission to have effected arrests by now.
It equally urged the Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC) ” to prove that it is capable of guaranteeing credible election come 2023 by investigating the alleged heavy vote buying in the primaries of PDP and APC and if proven disqualify those aspirants involved in such act..
“Similarly, the EFCC which paraded its operatives at the venues of the primaries should immediately get ready to prosecute those implicated in the alleged crime of vote buying because without such action taken against the two political parties the 2023 election is already doomed” ICDGG concluded.