Substituting “membership” with “delegate” party primaries in the country creates room for possible manipulation of the electoral process and imposition of questionable and sometimes unpopular candidates on the electorates.
It has become an aged long political tradition imported into the country from the West, allowing handpicked party members to decide who becomes the party’s flag bearer at different levels of elections in Nigeria.
This practice does not only open doors for corruption and intrigue but sometimes packaged and launch political misfits into the polity.
‘Membership’ primaries, which itself is unique and innovative, allow all card-carrying members of a party to participate actively in choosing their representatives at all levels, having known their personality traits and their capabilities. This alone will trigger a sense of belonging and ownership among party members who now see the party as theirs.
Membership primaries also make it imperative for candidates to be properly scanned both in character and experience, to avoid political jobbers and looters who masquerade as politicians.
The Independent National Electoral Commission should not be part of this exercise because that tantamount to pouring new wine into an old wine skin; rather, there should be a legislation to review the Electoral Act by which there will be the establishment of “Political Parties Electoral Commission” as an umpire comprising of representatives of political parties in each state and the Federal Capital Territory whose responsibility will to oversee party primaries as well as submit the names of successful candidates to INEC for documentation.
There is therefore the need for a paradigm shift from the traditional ‘delegate’ driven primaries to a more inclusive and transparent ‘membership’ primaries at all levels as a way of enthronement of transparency, competence, honesty, loyalty and electing a candidate with humane disposition to the electorate.
By doing so the country will be on course for strong and stable political development and sustainable economic growth.
FIDELIS NWAKWESILI
