News2023: YIAGA Warns PDP, APC Against Cash and Carry Politics

2023: YIAGA Warns PDP, APC Against Cash and Carry Politics

spot_img

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Access Bank Advert

YIAGA Africa, a Civil Society Organisation, has cautioned political parties in the country against monetisation of next  year’s election.

The Civil Society groups spoke ahead the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Convention coming up next Monday, where the ruling party’s Presidential candidate is expected to emerge.

UBA

Not a few Nigerians have  expressed outrage over the high cost of nomination and expression of interest forms by the two major political parties in the country.

For instance, the ruling APC sold its presidential nomination form for N100 million, while the PDP sold their own for N40 million.

Also, many Nigerians expressed outrage over the last PDP National Convention where huge sums of money were believed to have been used to bribe delegates. The PDP’s  Presidential flag bearer is Atiku Abubakar.

READ ALSO:  FG Sacks Julius Berger, Terminates N740bn Road Contract To Firm

As a proof that money was actually shared to PDP delegates, one of the delegates from Kaduna, shared N7 million to people in his constituency out of his own share.

The Civil Society body said politicians must be discouraged from the use of money to buy votes.

In a statement on Friday, Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA, said political parties must ensure that candidates representing the party emerge through a transparent process, devoid of money inducement.

According to him, “As the country eagerly awaits the emergence of the Presidential flagbearers of most political parties, we wish to reiterate the strategic importance of fair and credible primaries in engendering positive democratic externalities within the context of the forthcoming civilian-to-civilian transition process in Nigeria.

READ ALSO:  Kano: NMA Issues 48 Hour Ultimatum To Kano Govt To Sack Commissioner For Assault

“With less than a week to the June 9th deadline for the conduct of party primaries, Yiaga Africa reaffirms her earlier demand that candidates must, among other things, emerge from credible, rules-based primaries in line with democratic standards. Manipulated and stage-managed primaries remain antithetical to democratic ideals and must be prevented to the barest minimum.

“We thus call on political parties yet to nominate Presidential candidates to ensure they deliver Presidential Conventions that are not free and fair in the theoretical or abstract sense but in terms of intrinsic transparency and accountability in its accreditation, voting, and collation process.

“The so-called ‘dollar rain’ needs to be brought to a definitive end, and delegates sensitized on the necessity of voting their conscience over primordial and pecuniary considerations.

READ ALSO:  Reno Omokri To Atiku: "You Lost The 2023 Presidential Election, Nobody Rigged You Out

“Yiaga Africa urges INEC to enforce its regulatory powers against political parties that contravene provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC guidelines before, during and after the primaries,” the statement said.


Discover more from The Source

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Share your story or advertise with us: WhatsApp: +2348174884527, Email: [email protected]

Your Comment Here

More articles

Discover more from The Source

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading