22 Parties Meet, Propose Policy Framework for Buhari

Twenty-two Nigerian political parties have jointly stated their commitment to improving the country’s electoral process and helping the President-elect with policy recommendations that can engender development.

The parties, which met in Abuja on Monday, also resolved to review their performance in the last general elections and address the shortcomings that made them lose the 2015 elections.

The parties that met include: Democratic Peoples Party, Peoples Party of Nigeria, Unity Party of Nigeria, Labour Party, Alliance for Democracy, Peoples Democratic Movement, United Progressives Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, among others.

Frederich Faseun of Unity Party of Nigeria; Peter Ameh, PPA Chairman, and Secretary of-General of Inter-Party Advisory Council, attended the meeting.

The parties resolved to formulate optimal ways of working with the Independent National Electoral Commission to further strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.

They also proposed a way of contributing to national development process by helping the soon-to-be inaugurated All Progressives Congress government of Muhammadu administration with policy blueprint.

According to Mr. Ameh, the importance of improving the electoral process to encourage multi-party politics can not be overemphasized.

“We looked at issues on how to re-strategise and create a better environment for the electoral process come 2019, an environment that will encourage multi-party democracy and encourage more parties to win elections because this last election was not really encouraging,” he said.