NNPP Blames INEC for Voter Apathy, Not Political Parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission should emphasize rebuilding public confidence in the electoral process, the New Nigeria People’s Party said on Wednesday, pointing out that internal party disagreements are not the primary cause of voter apathy in the nation.

In a statement released in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, responded to the electoral umpire’s recent worries about the effects of internal party strife on the party’s operations.

Johnson concurred that court lawsuits resulting from party disagreements frequently involve INEC as a party, putting administrative strain on the commission and depleting its time and resources.

However, Johnson maintained that “a deepening crisis of public confidence in the electoral system is the most pressing challenge confronting Nigeria’s democracy.”

While acknowledging the existence of administrative obstacles, he encouraged the INEC Chairman to acknowledge a much more hazardous truth. According to him, the main reason for Nigerian voter apathy is not internal party strife but rather the pervasive belief that INEC is involved in undermining the will of the people.

He emphasized that the crisis of trust is the main cause of voter indifference, adding that a sizable portion of the electorate still believes that the system is rigged and that their votes do not count.

Johnson thought that no amount of internal party stability would encourage Nigerians to return to the polls until INEC showed complete transparency and proved it was an impartial judge.

The NNPP stated that INEC should “take a hard look in the mirror” and enact measures that could restore the sanctity of the vote, while political parties should bolster internal democracy and cut down on needless litigation.

He clarified that the party’s stance was taken just hours after INEC declared that it will begin reviewing the 2022 version of its rules and guidelines for political parties in an effort to improve the electoral process’s integrity and openness.