Former Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy and House of Representatives aspirant, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan, has proposed contracting party primaries election to election firms as the best solution to resolving the trust crisis plaguing party system.
Speaking on internal party democracy at an interactive session convened by the Centre for Constitutionalism and Demilitarisation held at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Ikeja on Friday, Bamigbetan who seeks to represent Oshodi-Isolo II said since no party member can be disinterested in the outcome of the primaries, it is very difficult to achieve transparency in primaries organised by parties.
“Imagine if our inter-party elections were organised by a Committee of all the parties, what result would you expect? The same rationale for the establishment of an independent electoral commission to handle inter-party polls applies to the need for an independent arbiter in intra-party polls.”
He said by composition, parties are agglomeration of various groups and tendencies which agree on the cardinal objectives of the party manifesto but disagree on tactics and strategies for implementing party programmes.
“These are the groups and tendencies which struggle to take over the machinery of the party during congresses, conventions and represent the party in government during primaries.”
He said since politics is about the protection and propagation of interests, it is naive and unscientific to expect party members appointed to organise primaries to suspend their interest while carrying out the task.
He said the situation explains the high rate of litigation following primaries adding that this is why officials recommend consensus that reflects the balance of power among contending groups.
Bamigbetan said consensus has serious limitations for internal party democracy because it favours the powerful groups and marginalises the weak.
“Consensus has the tendency to promote oligarchy in the party structure, stifle the process for mass participation and lead to lethargy. The option of contracting primaries to election companies resolves the contradictions as the firms, which would be registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, would be bound by several conditions which compel transparency and mass participation.”
He said a bill seeking to actualize this proposal will be one of his initiatives if elected a member of the House of Representatives.