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INEC chief identifies bane of parties
INEC chief identifies bane of parties
JIDE BAKARE
The National
Electoral Commissioner supervising Kwara, Plateau and Niger states, Mr. Amiko
Uchola has identified lack of ideologies by the Nigerian political parties as
the major factor militating against the nation’s fragile democracy.
Uchola, who stated this at the post 2003
general election seminar organised by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) Kwara State chapter in Ilorin Thursday added that whatever
anomaly noticed during any election in Nigeria should be heaped on politicians
rather than the electoral body handling such an election.
"The electoral body, the organised civil
society and the public are facilitators and masters in the game. The present
situation where our political parties are fragmented, weak and without ideology
is not good for democratic development. The politicians need to change their
vision and attitude.
"The present situation where our
electorate are ignorant of the process of democracy and the procedure of
electing their representatives is not good for us as a country. We need to
educate the electorate. The government, the political parties and the civil
society need to invest in this aspect", he said.
Speaking against the alleged inordinate
ambition of the Nigerian politician to secure victories and governance by all
means, the Electoral Commissioner said the posture was inimical to the growth
and survival of democracy in the country.
Citing the African National Congress (ANC)
party in South-Africa, which held its ideology for 40 years before forming the
government, Uchola said democracy is premised on three fundamental ideals: the
issues, the impact vis a vis the time, and the sentiments adding that the
ideals grow best in a situation where people are free from poverty and have
basic understanding of the issues and are duly informed.
He added that elections remain the best
means of expressing the sentiments saying in democracy, election gives the
people a voice in the choice of their leaders even as he stated that an election
needs to be free, fair and credible for it to be respected and meaningful.
The Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola
Saraki represented at the occasion by the Chief of Staff, Government House,
Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Olododo applauded the high sense of dedication, transparency
and patriotism exhibited by the INEC in the last general elections in the
country.
He charged all the stakeholders in the
polity to always give support and co-operation to INEC to ensure its continued
success for the good of the nation’s democracy.
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