Democracy advocates have urged political parties in Nigeria to prioritise internal democracy, warning that lack of transparency and inclusiveness in their structures were weakening democratic governance in the country.
The call was made at the subnational strengthening of democracy conference held in Kano as a follow-up to the national-level initiative in Abuja.
The conference, organised through a strategic partnership by Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), brought together diverse stakeholders, including academics, political leaders, civil society organisations and traditional rulers.
In his welcome address, the director of Strategy at the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Itia Otabor, emphasised the need to strengthen institutions that protect democratic practices and called for reforms in Nigeria’s political party system.
Otabor expressed concern over weak institutions, poor internal party structures and lack of ideological consistency among political parties.
He highlighted frequent internal crises within political parties, which often lead to defections and electoral instability.
“Candidate selection processes are flawed, and party discipline is weak. If we must strengthen democracy, our parties must be well-organised and ideologically driven,” he added.
He cautioned that without strong democratic institutions and well-structured parties, Nigeria’s democracy would remain unstable.
“For democracy to thrive, institutions like the judiciary, electoral bodies, and anti-corruption agencies must be strengthened to function independently and effectively.
“Likewise, political parties must operate on clear ideologies rather than being mere platforms for power struggles,” he stated.
In a keynote address, the director of Programmes at the Youth and Environmental Development Association (YEDA), Abdullahi Sule, identified key challenges in Nigeria’s democracy, including weak institutions, unempowered citizens, and the absence of internal democracy in political parties.
He emphasised that without robust democratic structures at the state and local government levels, national democratic progress would remain fragile.
He stressed the need for the judicial service commission and legislative service commission, both at the federal and state levels, to be autonomous, especially in appointments and financing.
He also proposed that local government elections be conducted by INEC rather than SIEC, adding that joint accounts between state and local governments should be abolished.
He called for regular consultations at constituency meetings at community levels and urged for more investments in voters’ education, citizens’ rights, duties and responsibilities.
Sule also identified funding constraints and executive influence as a challenge with elections in Nigeria, stressing that granting INEC full financial and operational independence would enhance public trust in the electoral process.
He said, “INEC must have full control over its budget, appointments and decision-making processes without external influence.”
In her remarks, the guest speaker, a social justice advocate, Prof Rabia Salihu Sa’id of the Bayero University Kano, said for Nigeria’s democracy to be truly participatory and accountable, there was need for parties to be reformed to deepen internal democracy.
She highlighted challenges to internal party democracy to include weak regulatory enforcement by INEC, influence of political godfathers and elite dominance, lack of internal conflict resolution mechanisms and limited participation of women, youths and marginalised groups.
The advocates recommended that the executive, judiciary, legislature, traditional leaders, INEC, civil society organisations (CSOs) and media fortify democratic foundations, foster citizens’ engagement and create pathways for credible and inclusive leadership.
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