AS POLITICAL
PARTIES CONDUCT PRIMARIES
The
last time I checked, we had almost gotten to the peak of the show, politics
wise. Little wonder, you could easily spot even a-day-old child ‘analyzing’
political trending.
It’s
not anymore news that soonest the various political parties domiciled in the
Nigerian polity, Imo State in particular, will keenly conduct their respective
primary polls towards nominating their flag-bearers for different political
positions as regards the fast approaching 2019 general elections.
In Imo, the Eastern Heartland, we could
observe a few key parties that are strongly in the race, particularly for the
office of the governor. The political groups in question will apparently leave
no stone unturned with a view to ensuring that the Douglas House is duly
captured by them come May, next year.
I’ve personally looked inwards and realized
that, in politics, you would invariably observe the serious, less-serious and
most serious aspirants. Among these classes, one can easily comprehend where
the aspirant that truly wants to acquire victory belongs.
In the same vein, I’ve in my capacity as an
analyst and activist ascertained that we equally have same classes of political
parties in the field of play. A few of them is too serious, some are not,
whilst most of them are merely passing by just to be noticed by the spectators.
Lest I digress; this piece is informed by the
compelling need to aptly and thoroughly educate and advise the parties in the
race on what are expected of them as they participate in the forthcoming
primaries in accordance with the mandate of the electoral umpire, the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
As the
teeming aspirants slug it out in their respective parties, they are bound to
acknowledge some pertinent facts towards helping them understand how to conduct
themselves at the awaited polls. The about-to-be disclosed fancy facts would
enable them stick strictly to the rules as long as the exercise lasts.
First,
they must take into cognizance that, in their various parties, they are not
unlike family members. Acknowledging that they are members of a given
indivisible family will enable them play by the rules; it would make them not
to indulge in any act that could cause their division; it would enable them to
see themselves as siblings.
Any
discerning political party at the moment ought to be focused on how to compete
favourably and vehemently with the other existing ones, hence the need to
concentrate on indulging in acts that would strengthen their muscles and
tentacles.
We must note that if a party that’s really out
to participate in the 2019 polls end up dividing itself, it would definitely be
to the advantage of its rivals. This is the reason the members of any party
must not give any room that’s liable to create factions among them.
In
view of the above, every serious, or very serious, party is required to conduct
its primary in harmony and mature manner. From my point of view, even if an
election would be conducted among the aspirants of a particular position, a
primary election is supposed to be a consensus thing. ‘Consensus’, in the sense
that, before the primary poll is conducted, the overall members are meant to
know or foresee who would eventually acquire the ticket.
In
other words, the primary poll ought to be a mere formality in order to fulfill
the directive or laws of the party. The incoming flag-bearer of any party
should be someone who’s widely accepted by all, or the majority, in the
organization. Hence, the ticket shouldn’t on any account be given to an
unpopular candidate or a person who’s not wanted by the party members.
It
suffices to say that imposition of candidate shouldn’t be anyway an option if
the party is genuinely prepared to remain united and indivisible. Imposition
has overtime bedevilled the wholesomeness of several political parties in the
past, hence the need for the present ones to learn from history toward averting
similar cancerous mistake.
I’m looking forward to seeing a society,
especially in Imo, where all members of a certain party would remain in such
party till after the ‘secondary’ (main) elections are conducted regardless of the
outcome of their various primary elections. The truth is that, if any primary
poll is well conducted, the members of the concerned party would have no single
reason to defect to other parties.
Dumping a party for others is usually not
unconnected with grievances nurtured by the defectors. If this assertion holds
water, then I see no reason the various political parties would not put their
house in order with a view to ensure that there won’t be any room for any
member to nurture grief after the primary poll has been held.
It is
on this premise I’m appealing to these political parties to endeavour not to
expose their dirty lilies in the public. They, therefore, ought to conduct
themselves as brothers and sisters from one mother, and not like the one we
witness in a polygamous home.
It would be very nice and apt for the ongoing
amendment of the Electoral Act to recognize a clause that would forbid any
member of a given political party defecting to another after the conduct of
their primaries, until the main election has taken place.
Curtailing such unwanted act among the
politicians via implementation of a strict policy will certainly go a long way
in sanitizing our political arena in its entirety. Think about it!
Comrade Nwaozor, a rights activist, is
National
Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement
_____________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Twitter: @mediambassador
