Political scientists in the country yesterday asked the federal government to fund political parties in order to make them effective and accountable.
They posited that the roles of political parties are so critical to the survival of democracy and its growth, adding that money bags should not be allowed to hijack them.
The president of the Nigeria Political Scientists Association (NPSA), Prof Hassan Saliu, made the call during an interview with newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State.
“In fact, some of us believe that by the time we focus on the political parties and get them to perform well optimally, 70 percent of Nigeria’s political problems will be solved”, he said.
Saliu, who described political parties as the engine room of democracy, said that, “If they are healthy, then democracy will perform well and if they are not, it will affect democracy too.
“In the context of Nigeria, no one can gain any political position without being in a political party. This means that we cannot ignore the happenings in the political parties.
“Because we put the government there, we elected them. So, Nigerians should focus on political parties. Their unhealthy state is negatively affecting democracy in Nigeria, ” he said.
Salihu, who said that the idea of government funding political parties is not a strange one, added that :
“There are countries of the world where parties are being funded. Put the money down and put an effective mechanism in place. So, if one party is misbehaving, you discipline the party.
“What we’re saying is that the role of the party is so critical to the survival of democracy and its growth that we cannot allow moneybags to hijack the parties.
“So, the government or the public should fund the political parties and put measures in place. There are countries who fund political parties, so it’s not new. And it’s been done in Nigeria before.”
Saliu added that: ” Party leaders have become officers that are on posting. And because they don’t have access to contracts, some people who dictate to them provide them the opportunity.
So they are supposed to be public institutions. But are they really in Nigeria? No. And that’s why some of us in NPSA are of the opinion that one of the ways to address the issue is that government should fund political parties. Let the government do the funding.
“And the rationale is that, if you give me money and I generate money on my own, I have the right to spend it the way I want it. You only have legitimacy to ask me to account for it. And that’s why INEC hasn’t been totally successful in auditing the accounts of political parties because if you don’t fund them, they look elsewhere and moneybags hijack the party and post their personal assistants to be secretaries and chairmen.”
