By Bello Hamza, Abuja
In its quest to ensure more credible and internationally acceptable elections in 2023, some former party flag bearers in previous elections and aggrieved politicians have launched a platform known as the Nigerian Voters’ Assembly (NVA).
The platform, which came on stream on Friday in the nation’s capital, Abuja, according to its national chairman, Pst. Niyi Dada, is to ensure that the electorates are adequately educated of their rights as deciders of political fates, as well as the need to safeguard their votes after the ballots until results are announced reflecting their expressed wishes and direction at the poll.
Addressing stakeholders at the launch, the chairman stated that the deviation of political parties from their basic and primary responsibility of educating their members and the observance of internal democracy leading to unresolved grievances necessitated the establishment of NVA.
In a jointly signed by the National Chairman, Pst. Niyi Dada and the National Secretary of the group, Dr Abdullahi Bello, continue as follows.
“I am delighted to convey the press release of the aggrieved members of political parties for further consolidation of the credibility of party process and sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria.
“In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Acts, parties are the pillars of democracy and they reflect fundamental political divisions in our society.
“A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country’s elections, and it’s common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics and parties to promote specific ideological or policy goals.
“Political parties usually include a party leader, who has primary responsibility for the activities of the party, and party executive’s with duties to perform, administratively in organizing the party.
POLL
“However, in many cases it’s not like that because most of the party is being run by one person like a personal business, no consultation with the caucus of the party, it’s just a one-man affair and for us, we can’t allow ourselves to be used as the stick in the hands of Men for their personal profit,” he said.
He, therefore, stated that a platform such as NVA was necessary because:
“Most of the parties has deviated from its fundamental principles and orientation of into a cash and carry platform.
“The National Chairmen of some parties has transmuted into a political demi-god abhors the essentials of democracy by operating the party as a personal estate, and fiefdom of dictatorship being operated through unofficial gatekeeping termites.
“The way and manner national officers and state chairmen of the parties are treated, removed and replaced with impunity sort of the Orwellian Animal Farm is pungently sad. This behavioural rascality has aborted the vision and mission and indeed, questions the moral pedigree as well as the political goodwill of the parties.
“The chronic lack of transparency and accountability in the financial dealings of the parties is too worrisome. Thus, the party”s zombie administrative policy and ostrich operations are posing a serious threat to the party”s growth and development.
“The ultimate aim of the party as it is today is unquestionable. The course of unfolding events and history will definitely vindicate us, etc,” he pointed out.
He called on politicians and youths who feel hard done by in their current parties to join the NVA as a viable alternative that can help actualise their political dreams and aspirations.
“We wish well for parties and other members who decided to remain in the party based on personal conviction or lack of an alternative. We wish to warn other Nigerian youths to think twice before joining any political party.
“However, we are here to officially launch Nigeria Voters Assembly. It’s a political movement/coalition of former Presidential candidates, gubernatorial candidates, National Parties officials, State Parties chairmen and other influential people from different political parties to mobilize and educate Nigerian voters to know more about their voting rights for better democracy.
“As a group, we will continue to mobilize ourselves by using our National and State structure, so that at the end we can affiliate with any presidential candidate of our choice that can take Nigerians to the Promised land,” he added.
