Reps investigate allegations of ‘corruption’ in conduct of primaries by political parties

The House of Representatives has begun investigations into the alleged violation of the Electoral Act by political parties in the primaries to choose candidates for the 2019 general election.

Abubakar Adamu (APC-Niger) moved the motion while condemning his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for “lack of internal democracy” in the conduct of the elections.

He also accused the parties of failing to adhere to the provisions of their constitutions and the electoral act with regard to the conduct of primaries.

Adamu said “Some parties brazenly refused to hold primaries in contravention of Section 87 (10) of the electoral act which makes it mandatory for parties to hold primaries, thereby leading to crisis in some state chapters of political parties.

“Governors in many states interfered with the elections by either imposing their preferred stooges as candidates on the parties and ensured that some aspirants were denied the right to participate or were shortchanged in the elections after paying huge amounts to obtain nomination forms.”

The lawmaker also decried the act where results of primaries are alerted as ”unjust which can be equated as corruption”.

”Even where clear winners emerged in the primaries, the results were altered and other persons declared winners, thereby shortchanging the electorate and violating Section 87 (3&4) of the Electoral Act.

”The crisis in the parties has generated many litigation, which may spill over into the tenure of the next governments as some of them may not be terminated before the end of the tenure of this government.

”And in some cases, there were violent attacks, including burning of property, maiming and killing of people,” he said .

The House consequently set up an ad hoc committee to look into the matter, charging it to determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) colluded with the parties to flout the electoral act.

The committee has been given four weeks to conclude its assignment and report its findings to the house for further legislative action.