The Independent National Electoral Commission should emphasize rebuilding public confidence in the electoral process, the New Nigeria People’s Party said on Wednesday, pointing out that internal party conflicts are not the primary cause of voter apathy in the nation.
In a statement released in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, responded to the electoral umpire’s recent worries on the effect of internal political party strife on the party’s operations.
Johnson concurred that legal disagreements between parties frequently force INEC to appear in court as a party, putting administrative strain on the commission and depleting its time and resources.
However, Johnson contended that “a deepening crisis of public confidence in the electoral system is the most pressing challenge confronting Nigeria’s democracy.”
While acknowledging the existence of administrative obstacles, he encouraged the INEC Chairman to acknowledge a much more hazardous truth. According to him, the main reason for voter apathy in Nigeria is not internal party strife but rather the general belief that INEC is involved in undermining the will of the people.
He emphasized that the crisis of trust is the main cause of voter indifference, adding that a sizable portion of the electorate is still convinced that the system is rigged and that their votes do not count.
No amount of internal party stability, according to Johnson, can encourage Nigerians to return to the polls until INEC exhibits complete transparency and establishes it is an impartial arbitrator.
The NNPP said that INEC needed to “take a hard look in the mirror” and enact changes that could restore the sanctity of the vote, while political parties needed to bolster internal democracy and cut down on needless litigation.
He clarified that the party’s stance was taken just hours after INEC declared that it will begin reviewing the 2022 edition of its rules and guidelines for political parties in an effort to improve the electoral process’s integrity and openness.
