Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, says moneybags and godfathers have hijacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), foreseeing the parties’ possible implosion over lack of internal democracy.
Naija News reports that Jega described as political rascality the activities of governors who deploy state resources to control political parties in their states and decide which candidate will emerge. He stated that such godfatherism is all driven by self-serving objectives.
He had before now stated that due to the leadership recruitment process in the country, clueless leaders oversee the country’s affairs at the local, state and federal government levels.
The ex-Chairman of INEC maintained that to move the country forward, Nigerians have to work hard to change their ways.
Speaking yesterday during a television programme monitored in Lagos, he said it was impossible for APC and PDP to change and do the right thing as evident in the disorderly primaries they conducted recently.
Jega lamented that after 22 years of practising democracy, Nigeria is yet to rid itself from the overbearing influence of people who see political parties as special purpose vehicles for winning elections for their personal gains.
“People have captured and controlled political parties for self-serving objectives, so no energy is devoted to organising primaries. Governors deploy state resources to control political parties in their states to decide which candidate will emerge. It is all driven by self-serving objectives and it is political rascality.
“After 22 years of democracy, we have still not freed ourselves from this overbearing control of people who just use parties as special purpose vehicles for winning elections by hook or by crook.
“That is why many of us are beginning to think that these so called dominant parties are really a huge disappointment, a drag to the democratisation process of our counter, and if we are hoping for change within these political parties, I regret to say it will be very long in coming.
“This is why many of us are pushing for a new purpose vehicle for democratic elections and to ensure that we move in the right direction,” he said.
This article was originally published on Naija News