Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council in Yobe, Alhaji Umar Kukuri, has admonished political parties to ensure that internal democracy flourished in selecting their flag-bearers in the forthcoming general elections.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Damaturu on Monday, Kukuri cautioned the parties on the dangers of imposing ‘unpopular candidates’, warning that the era for such unholy practice was gone.
He said that ensuring free and fair elections in party primaries was crucial for the growth of democracy in the country.
He said: “After 20 years of uninterrupted political experiment, democracy in Nigeria should out-grow imposition of unpopular candidates to fly flags of political parties for public office.
“Electorate also have the moral obligation to elect candidates with records of transparency, accountability, probity and who have the capacity to improve their lives.
“Election periods provide the electorate, the opportunity to vote out corrupt and incompetent political office holders and re-elect those with public interests.
“The electorate have in the last three years, seen the capacities of every elected public officer and they (electorate) have the capacity to reject or re-elect such officers.”
He said the nation’s democracy must never be auctioned to money bags who see election into public office as an investment for personal enrichment, as against service to the people.
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