Defection a threat to democracy, embrace politics of ideology – experts

Experts in development work have implored Nigerian politicians to embrace politics of ideology and not defection as a way of promoting democratic values as obtained in the US and major western countries.
The experts, drawn from various works of life arrived at this consensus at a one-day state town hall meeting in Bauchi organized by ACTIONAID Nigeria in partnership with Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI).
According to the statakeholders, “defection is a threat to democracy and cannot in anyway replace multi-party system in a country that is desirous of entrenching a lasting democratic culture”.
Speaking on the theme of the meeting, “Making the Electoral Process Citizen Centred: Deepening the gains of the 2015 election”, a political scientist from the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi (ATAPOLY), Comrade Yusuf Abdullahi, described multiparty system as great and must be
sustained.
He frowned at the current trend of defection from one party to another, saying “such defection is a demonstration of political immaturity and lack of ideology that must be discarded by Nigerian politicians”.
In his submission on the same theme, the HOD Mass Communication of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Alhaji Hassan.
Alhaji Hassan hailed the government for introducing the ‘Card Reader’, describing it as an innovation that revolutionized the process of election in Nigeria.
He however highlighted some of the challenges that must be looked into for the success of future elections to be guaranteed to include updating of voters’ register, checking the excesses of politicians who use thugs to disrupt announcement of result that is not in their favour, restriction on women on grounds of religion or culture as well as disrespect to people living with disability [PLWAs].
In his contribution, the spokesman of People Living with Disability PLWD, Mallam Haruna Pali expressed regret that despite constituting about 15 percent of the nation’s population, disabled people were often neglected by policy makers.
He enumerated some of their plight to include the threat of insecurity at polling centres, distance of polling units to member homes, and the unfriendly attitude of other voters who disrespect PLWDs, and therefore advised INEC to develop software for different group of PLWDs, introduce tactile polling centres for members and ensure that PLWDs are allowed to cast their votes first.
During the one-day meeting, a private legal practitioner, Barrister Inusa Danjuma Buzi, suggested that for Nigeria’s democracy to stand the test of time, political parties must screen their candidates properly to avert unending legal tussle.
Barr. Buzi who also proposed strict sanction for election offenders without options of fines appealed to the electorates to protect their votes so as to deter criminally minded individuals from occupying elective posts.
INEC spokesman, Garba Mohammed, advised both political parties and the electorates to strive to promote fairness and ensure transparency during nomination and subsequent election of contestants to avoid imposition of candidates who may not protect people’s interest.
ActionAid spokesperson, Mrs Vanessa Edhebru, hailed Bauchi based civil society Organisations for being proactive in embracing democratic norms and values through the involvement of citizens in the electoral process before and after the 2015 general elections.
Participants finally resolved among others that election of delegates be henceforth supervised by INEC and not political parties; local council elections be conducted by INEC not SIEC to allow the third tier of government operate independently; the judiciary should be reorganized so as to flush corrupt judges and lawyers out of the system as well as improve awareness campaigns to educate voters on their rights.
The one-day townhall meeting was attended by statess legislators, representatives of INEC, NOA, PLWDs, Civil Right Activists, Journalists, NGOs and CBOs, Religious and Traditional leaders drawn from Bauchi, Shira, Giade, Warji, Tafawa-Balewa, and Ganjuwa LGAs of Bauchi State.