Ibrahim Gambari, former chief of staff to President
Muhammadu Buhari, says only strong institutions, internal party democracy, and
accountable leadership can safeguard the country’s future.
Speaking during an interview with Arise Television on
Monday, Gambari underlined how Nigeria’s democratic crisis would not be solved
by rhetoric or strong personalities.
Gambari added that of all the institutions in Nigeria’s
democracy, the political party system worries him the most, adding that the
nation’s political parties lack identity, ideology and internal democracy.
“Political parties bother me the most. Because if you have
strong political parties, even the fear of Nigeria becoming a one-party state
will not arise,” he said.
“Political parties must stand for something that people can
identify with, something against which their performance can be judged. That is
so much absent, and I am very worried about that.”
He dismissed fears of Nigeria becoming a one-party state,
saying history showed such ambitions always fail.
“In the First Republic, the NPC became very strong and
powerful. They did not discourage the disintegration of the Action Group, but
it did not work. We saw the end of that,” he said.
“The NPN later called itself the ‘superpower’. It did not
lead us to progress. The PDP once said it would rule for 60 years. We know how
that ended.”
He, however, said democracy would not thrive without
reforming political parties.
“If we want a system that is not winner-takes-all, then we
must think about proportional representation,” Gambari said.
“But you cannot have proportional representation unless you
have strong political parties. The antidote to anti-democratic forces is more
democracy, not less, starting from political parties.”
Regarding the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), Gambari said the electoral umpire must be beyond reproach, and that
Nigeria should review how INEC officials are appointed.
“They are the referee. INEC must be like Caesar’s wife —
beyond suspicion. It is not really about whether they are judges or professors.
It is about people of proven integrity and track record,” he said.
Gambari said politicians themselves are a major part of the
problem.
“Unfortunately, many of our politicians do not believe in
fair play. If they win, they win. If they lose, no matter how free and fair the
election, they blame the referee,” he added.
“We must never leave room for scapegoating. People must
believe in the rules of the game.”
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