IPAC Election: TMG Alleges Plot By APC To Foist Stooges On New Exco

The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG has alleged a plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to plant stooges in Monday’s election of a new executive of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Election.

Besides accusing the APC of the plot to plant stooges in IPAC, TMG also alleged that some of the candidates cleared for the election have ongoing criminal cases in the courts which make them susceptible to blackmail.

In a statement made available to GWG.ng by Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Chairman, TMG, the group said that political parties are the backbone of democracies and that the articulation the parties give in IPAC should ordinarily enhance democracy but only if the parties are allowed to operate freely.

Noting the plot by the APC to compromise the IPAC election, the TMG chairman, said:

“TMG wishes to draw the attention of the public to the IPAC election, and to state categorically that it is not oblivious of attempts by some desperate political elite especially from the ruling party to plant candidates into the leadership of the council of political parties in the country.

“This unending desire to plant loyalists and people with lack of integrity in every institution of democratic development in Nigeria is damaging to the quality of democracy in the country.

“While the regime has succeeded in planting loyalists in the National Assembly, which is capable of eroding the democratic principle of checks and balances as Nigerians have widely described the current Assembly as a rubber-stamp.

“Where the regime has succeeded in planting and allegedly buying over loyalists in the judiciary, it has also succeeded in eroding citizens’ trust in the judiciary.

“In the same vein, where the regime has succeeded in planting loyalists as Resident Electoral Commissioners against citizens petition, it continues to deplete citizens trust in the electoral process. Every single selfish action has its wide-reaching consequences on democracy in Nigeria.

“The attempt to hijack the IPAC election only points to a regime which is bent on eliminating every form of opposition as the inter-party council is expected to present the most critical form of objectivity in the conducts of political parties in Nigeria since the opposition parties have failed woefully in that role.

“It is important to note that the foundation of democracy is anchored on strong political parties that promote internal democracy through inclusive membership participation.

“The practice of monetizing every elective position in Nigeria is undemocratic and injurious to the growth of the process.

“Even as the attempts to plant loyalists in the leadership of IPAC is noted, TMG wishes to also bring to the public the fact that certain frontline candidates in the election have pending criminal cases in the court of law and wishes to state that it remains baffled that such characters are even allowed to run in this critical election.

“It is important to note that having an IPAC of people with integrity deficit will leave a damaging effect on the image of the council, hence, TMG calls on the good members of IPAC in exercising their votes to ensure that such characters are not allowed into power.”

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