The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has noted with pleasure the openness and orderliness of the just conducted governorship primary in Ekiti State by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), urging its members to not only emulate the exercise but improve on the level transparency.
The umbrella body of all registered political parties and associations in the country in a statement issued by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, noted that “the time has come for Nigerians to consciously stop the current retrogression in the country’s democratic journey and see every election as an opportunity to showcase one’s leadership qualities and a means to express interest to serve the people.”
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It regretted that “the current electoral violence being experienced in country ahead of 2019 general elections is a negation of the democratic atmosphere the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) inherited in 2015, which made it possible for an opposition party to win the presidential election.
“The country is not improving in the respect for basic democratic tenets, rather it has regrettably retrogressed because the ruling APC has failed to uphold by example the basic principles of democracy as a government of the people by the people and for the people.
“It is only when people want to serve themselves; they coerce citizens to queue behind them through imposition rather than selling themselves or their preferred candidates to the people who should have the ultimate power to elect or not to elect anyone as their leader in a democracy.
“All political parties should emulate and consistently improve on the Ekiti State governorship primary example to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and property because of elections.
“No democracy accepts coercion, intimidation, cowing of opposing views as the minority should be allowed to have their say with fears while the majority have their way”, the CNPP stated.
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