The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has called for restructuring of political parties in Nigeria, to change their focus to serving the people and entrenching democracy.
Mustapha said this on Tuesday at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation 2022 Peace Conference entitled “Nation Building: The Role of Peaceful Elections in a Multi-Ethnic Context’’ in Abuja.
In his words, “One of the institutions that will need remedy as quickly as possible, as an institution that produces the platform for electron processes is the political party.
“I have seen how the political parties have been totally disregarded in terms of institutional strengthening, in terms of making the platforms not only for the purposes of canvassing votes but also for the purposes of initiating policies.
“To also be guiding the political party that is in power to ensure that the promises they made to the electorate are fulfilled.
“Not the agenda of the occupant of the office, but the philosophy and the direction of growth that the party has set for itself is accomplished,’’ he said.
According to him, the chairmen of political parties were in full control and they were perfuming in the past but the situation has changed as the parties turned to vehicle for electoral victory and not as foundation to meet the need of the people.
“We need to address the formation of our parties, the institutionalisation of our parties, the strengthening of democratic ethics party, because these are the platforms that produce the people that will occupy the offices.
“If they are faulty in their nature, obviously, the conduct of the people that will occupy those offices will equally be faulty and the desire of the people of Nigeria to see good governance will continue to elude us as people,” he said.
