Former Secretary General of the pan northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, has asked the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties to allow aspirants test their popularity before delegates at a proper convention.
Sani said the use of consensus to pick the party flag bearers will stifle internal democracy, leading to avalanche of aggression, agitations, mistrust and suspicion in the polity.
He criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for APC Governors to allow him to choose his successor, a move he said would amount to adopting the consensus option.
He warned if the ruling party is unable to consciously entrench internal democracy, it would be hard to convince Nigerians that it can entrench democracy in the country.
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Sani said: “Amid the picking of the National Chairman of APC by the so-called consensus, the temptation is for the party leadership to consider consensus as veritable method in the choice of the presidential candidate.
“Consciously, directed resort to the use of consensus for choice of leaders of the party and its flag bearers is capable of consigning members of the party to the sidelines and stifle internal democracy in the part, thereby leading to avalanche of aggression, agitations and mistrust and suspicion in the polity.
“Political parties exist to facilitate socio-economic development of the nation democratically.
“If the ruling political party is unable to consciously entrench internal democracy in the management of its internal affairs, then it would be hard for the party to convince Nigerians that it can entrench democracy that is rooted in justice, liberty and common decency through elections.
“It is therefore important to point out that if indirect primaries has become veritable avenues for some aspirants to bribe delegates to the chagrin of party members and promote plutocracy, then consensus would be worst mechanism in party conventions. This is because it stifles popular participation.
“So, it is not the way to go. Let the party convention allow all aspirants already reeling from high cost of nomination fees test their popularity as antidote to aggressions, agitations and suspicions as aftermath of convention by consensus”.