The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over some gaps and ways political parties conducted themselves and urged them to improve on them.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the charge at the weekend in Abuja, during the annual summit of political parties and stakeholders with the theme ‘Political parties and democratic stability in Nigeria: Setting agenda for 2023 general election.’
It was organised by the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre (PPLPDC) of NIPSS and European Union (EU) funded Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria.
Prof. Yakubu who was represented by a National Commissioner and Chairman, Outreach and Partnership Committee (OPC), Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, said among the gaps were lack of internal party democracy and inclusivity among others.
He said INEC would register more political parties before the next general elections, adding that the commission was trusting in God that the challenges in the country would not be a threat to the 2023 elections.
“We had appraised the political situation in the country with the way the political parties play their roles and we found some gaps that we need to fill and that is the purpose of this type of summit so that what they are able to gain from here, they capitalize it and improve the polity,” he said.
The Director-General, NIPSS in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, Brig-General Chukwuemeka Udaya (retd), urged politicians not to take the 2023 General Elections as a do or die affair.
“Politicians should know that as 2023 beckons, election is not a do or die affair. Annually, ECES trains political parties and the whole essence of this particular summit is to set the agenda for the 2023 election and to educate political parties that come 2023, it is not a do or die affair. It is all about political inclusion, democracy and governance for Nigeria.
“What we want political parties to take home from this training and summit is for all Nigerians to reduce the divisions; there are deep divisions and it is the responsibility of the political parties to bring the country together, forge the country on and set agenda for elections come 2023,” Udaya said.
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