APC, other Nigerian political parties struggling to meet right standards – Bulama

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Waziri Bulama, has said that political parties in Nigeria, including the APC, are still far from becoming strong and stable institutions.

Bulama, who spoke on Arise Television on Wednesday, explained that Nigeria’s democracy is still emerging and fragile, largely because parties have not been built on firm ideological foundations.

“You must understand that our democracy, though 25 to 26 years old today, has not yet matured as it should. Political parties ought to be firm and mature institutions, but we have not grown to that level. There is no doubt about that. Parties are expected to function as strong corporate structures, guided by ideology and a culture of doing things the right way. Unfortunately, we are yet to reach that stage,” he said.

“The truth is that our parties, including the APC, are still struggling to become strong institutions. Our parties are weak because they are dominated by political elites who place personal interests above collective goals.

“Most of them are not rooted in ideology or clear principles, and that is why we continue to see internal crises, factions, and weak structures.”

He noted that the absence of an ideological foundation has fueled recurring disputes in parties, making them more vulnerable to conflicts among their leaders.

He also added that the dominance of political elites, coupled with the lack of grassroots participation, has further weakened the growth of parties and democratic culture in the country.

Bulama warned that voter apathy is becoming a major threat, stressing that citizens are losing confidence in democracy because they feel their voices do not matter.

“So that is actually a struggle that all our parties are going through.

“And indeed, the sluggish way in which we are handling this issue of making our parties fully institutional is really affecting the quality of our democracy.

“Look, the biggest elephant in the room at the moment, let me even tell you, is voter apathy. Because the last presidential election in 2023, out of 94 million registered voters, only 26 million came out to vote.

“The elite is to blame for that. The point is this, it shows that people have a cold attitude towards the entire democratic process, not just one party or any party, but the elites were not interested in voting.

“And knowing fully too, that voting in a general election is like a referendum on the democratic system itself.

“ That is an issue that all the elites, all the parties ought to interrogate to improve their image in the eyes of the Nigerian public, to improve the trust gap that exists between citizens and the political class.”

Bulama stressed that for democracy to thrive, political parties must be people-driven, transparent, and service-oriented, operating with open and inclusive systems that unite members across Nigeria’s diversity

APC, other Nigerian political parties struggling to meet right standards – Bulama