The Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen and other stakeholders in the country’s political make up, have come out strongly to back the proposed bill, seeking the establishment of an independent body to register and regulate funding of political parties in the country.
The Speaker, who was represented by Hon. Ishaya Lalu, member of the House, at a Technical Workshop for the House Committee on Political Party Matters on the Political Parties Bill, organised by Yiaga Africa and supported by the European Union with partnership from the Kukah Centre on Monday in Abuja, noted that the country must find ways to make party politics serve the purpose of politics and not wealth creation for its handlers.
According to Abbas
“The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has the power to register political parties, but there is a need to strengthen this legislation. In some instances, political party funding in Nigeria is taken over by wealthy individuals as investments.
Those who make the investments, either as businessmen or politicians, hijack the political parties or impose candidates on the parties during the electoral process.
There cannot be a democracy where there is no internal democratic process, through which candidates for election emerge at the level of the political parties”.
The Speaker opined that, registration and regulation of political party funding will promote transparency and accountability, separate the regulatory function from government control, and domicile it in an independent body.
On his part, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo believes that the bill, when passed, would reform the party system in the country.
“The quality of political party operations directly impacts the integrity of our elections.”
Chairman, House Committee on Political Matters, Zakari Nyampa stated that unregulated primaries often lead to crises within parties.
“This bill is key to ensuring accountability, transparency, and proper regulation of political party funding,” he said, underscoring its importance for Nigeria’s evolving democracy”.
At the interactive session with a group of social media influencers, the Abbas stressed the importance of the youth and their voice on the Internet to democracy.
He said the engagement was for critical reflection on the intersection of governance, innovation, and responsible communication.
“We are not unmindful of the challenges posed by misinformation, digital security threats, and the misuse of online platforms. Nonetheless, our approach shall remain rooted in dialogue, education, and constructive engagement rather than censorship or coercion.”
According to him, the interaction was an unprecedented engagement designed to formalise a dialogue between the Nigerian parliament and the dynamic community of digital actors.
He described the youth as pivotal agents in the contemporary information environment.
“Your platforms serve as vital conduits for citizen engagement, policy interpretation, and the cultivation of public consciousness”.
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