From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has vowed to ensure the authenticities of future candidates of all the Political Parties in the Country before conducting Primary elections.
Chairman of IPAC, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, made the vow during the emergency meeting with INEC in Abuja.
He said in the past some political parties who have won their elections were void due to candidates certificate brouhaha.
According to him, “As leaders of political parties, this is our chance to restore confidence in the electoral process by ensuring the sanctity of the ballot box, and respect the mandate of the people.
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“After 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, we must get it right this time.
“As the umbrella body of all registered political parties, IPAC is saddled with the responsibility of consolidating and deepening democracy by ensuring an environment conducive for successful elections, political stability and peaceful electoral process in the nation.
“The success of the election will drastically reduce post-election litigations and reinforce trust and confidence in the electoral process, thus, bolster voter turnout. It will also save the Judiciary from undue intervention and interference in the declaration of the winner of an election.
“It is obvious that the failure to comply with parties’ constitutions is the remote cause of crises, leadership disagreements, factionalizations and litigations that have retarded the development of party politics in Nigeria.
“We should be the solution we seek in advancing democracy in the country. It is easy to blame the electoral body, security agencies and the Judiciary when as leaders of political parties we cannot comply with clear provisions of our parties’ constitutions and basic provisions of the electoral act and guidelines.
“It is time to jettison impunity and embrace internal democracy in our activities, particularly in the nomination of candidates for elections.
“On the numerous fake certificates presented by aspirants contesting various elective offices, causes subsequent litigations and nullification of elections as a result of that. And thereby denying political parties that fielded the candidates their hard earned victory.
“IPAC and the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Council’s national secretariat, Abuja on Wednesday 28th August 2024, to that effect.
“IPAC took this bold step to restore sanity in the electoral process and effectively detect these fake documents that embarrass political parties and bring our democracy to disrepute”, he averred.
