INEC releases code of conduct for Political parties

Political parties in the country on Monday reacted differently to the code of conduct on campaigns, elections, post-election issues and party finance and implementation released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties and the Congress for Progressive Change, among other parties, differed on the code which the INEC said parties would sign on Tuesday (today).

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in an interview with our correspondent on Monday, explained that the inter-party advisory council, comprising all political parties, would ensure that the code was not violated.

The ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in an interview with one of our correspondents, noted that INEC lacked the capacity to enforce the code.

“I must say first of that it is belated. It ought to have happened six months ago. Also, INEC lacks the capacity to enforce it,” he said.

Muhammed stated that the Peoples Democratic Party had been violating the code of conduct by using state resources to campaign.

But the National Publicity Secretary of the CNPP, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, described the planned signing of the code of conduct as a welcome development.

He, however, appealed to Nigerians to prevail on the PDP to obey the code of conduct during campaigns and elections.

Okechukwu said, “It is a welcome development because morality is the backbone of a decent society. We appeal to the PDP to obey the moral code. The PDP is the problem of Nigeria in the last 12 years. All the violence has been caused by them.”

The spokesman of the CPC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Mr. Yinka Odumakin, accused the PDP of enthroning a culture of impunity in the country.

Odumakin stated, “It is not that we do not have enough laws in the country, the problem with us is the paucity of the political will to enforce them. The PDP is behaving as if the rest of us were not there.”

The Labour Party said on Monday it would study the Memorandum of Understanding on code of conduct with the Independent National Electoral Commission for a peaceful poll before taking a stand.

LP said similar agreements were signed in 2007 but nothing came out of them

LP Chairman, Dan Nwuanyanwu, said INEC must fulfil its obligations towards the elections too.

“In 2007, we signed similar agreements, but we got a raw deal. We have to be assured that the same thing will not happen,” he said.

Nwuanyanwu said although his party would be at the event as a principal actor in the election, INEC must also demonstrate enough responsibilities to carry out its obligations.

“INEC should also have an obligation to announce authentic results. INEC must undertake that its officials will not manipulate the results,” he said.

Nwuanyanwu said if LP was not satisfied with the MOU and the terms , it was not obliged to sign.

But the Citizen Popular Party has said it will not sign the Code of Conduct.

The party, according to its Chairman, Chief Maxi Okwu, said there was no reason to sign another paper when the one signed in 2007 was not implemented.

It said the International Republican Institute played a key role towards the realisation of the noble objective in 2007.

But it said that “the 2007 Code of Conduct for political parties was observed more in the breach because none of the key political parties’ national chairmen participated in its formulation and execution.

“The document also suffered due to lack of sanction as it relied more on peer pressure. The Inter-Parties Advisory Council, a body it established for implementation, monitoring and enforcement was left to whims and caprices of some elements in a few minor parties.”

Because of this, Okwu said the party had resolved to withhold its signature to the 2011 political parties’ code of conduct, adding that the timing was also wrong as it was coming barely three weeks to the general election.

Apart from this, the party said that “in the lead up to the current general election, a number of political parties kicked-off their campaign long before the regulatory body INEC blew the whistle and the commission did nothing about it.

“Everyday millions of naira is being donated to some political parties in violation of the code of conduct and regulations on political parties finance in the Electoral Act 2010 and mum is the word from INEC.

“The CPP is totally disgusted with the level of intolerance exhibited by the Peoples Democratic Party in the electoral campaigns.”

The party mentioned some states where it said opposition parties were being molested and harassed by some governors elected on the platform of the PDP.

“So long as the dominant political parties keep undermining the code of conduct with impunity with INEC looking on haplessly, it is unproductive to endorse a document that would be a mere paper tiger and charade,” the party said

According to the code of conduct, political parties should not use state resources for their activities.

It also reads, “Political parties and their agents shall not engage in any of the following corrupt practices forcible occupation or invasion of a polling station, collation centre and INEC office.”

On campaigning, the code states, “No political party or candidate shall use its power of incumbency to prevent other parties or candidates from pasting their posters or distributing their leaflets, handbills and other publicity materials in public places.

“All political parties shall take all necessary steps to co-ordinate their campaign activities in such a way as to avoid holding rallies, meetings, marches or demonstrations close to one another at the same time.

“All parties shall file with the commission details of their public rallies and meetings in any particular are a prior to such meeting.

“All parties shall separate party business from government business. As such, parties shall not utilise public resources for party activities and shall not permit any of its sponsored candidates holding public office to use public resources for the purpose of political campaigning in elections.”

As many political parties have flouted these rules already without being checked by INEC, we wait to see what kind of results INEC will declare come April.