The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Nigeria’s highest Policy research and training Institute has said that many political parties in the country are based on fragile foundations, including godfathers or dominant personalities and ethno-regional alliances.
Director of Research of the Institute and Chief Operating Officer of the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre Habu Galadima who disclosed this at a two day training for party leaders in Abuja also said that political parties in the country have frequently mobilized supporters based on ethno-regional, religious, and personality politics.
Prof Galadima stressed the need to ensure all-inclusiveness in political participation by all members of the political parties; the training was designed based on identified gaps in the management of political parties in the country.
He said “The gaps identified necessitate the review of the training curriculum, and the handbooks. It was fathomed from the baseline and the poll survey that political parties in Nigeria are confronted with quite a number of challenges.”
According to him, Political parties in the country face considerable challenges in the area of internal democracy with party elites frequently manipulating party rules to subvert internal party democracy for their personal political interests.
He said further that it was unfortunate that women, youth and People with Disabilities are particularly disenfranchised within party leadership, occupying a minimal percentage of party leadership positions and having very limited influence on party decision-making.
The training is sponsored by EU -Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Project (EU SDGN) and aimed at enhancing Internal Democracy and Respect for Rules in Political Parties; Strengthen Adherence to Legal Requirements on Party Funding and Campaign Finance and Strengthen Engagements among lnter-Party Advisory Council (IPA C), Independent National Electoral Commission (NBC) and other Relevant Stakeholders.
