The Cliche ” Political Party Internal Affairs In Nigeria”
By
OMOHA OTUOSOROCHI J.
How did we get here is the most repeated question that is bothering my mind. The constitution confers on the court the unfettered power to decides on any issue bothering on the affairs of Nigerians, not minding that it ousted the Almighty power of the Judiciary in few places but it did that for the interest of all Nigerians.
The issue of permitting wrong to continue to hover around political parties in Nigeria and at most, if an aggrieved party want to probe or seek for redress, the court will majestically raise the hands and re- echo “political party internal affairs” is no longer funny and it’s not the way it should be.
The issue of the power of the court being ousted from interfering in the internal affairs of the political parties was created by the Law and the court.
The legislation professing this was enacted by the Legislatures (Electoral Act and was also domesticated by the various political parties via their party’s constitution) and we can swiftly deduce without exerting strength that the so called legislatures are politicians and they belong to different political parties and they also know the wrongs that they are permeating and perpetrating against the interest of the masses in their various political parties and so, they enacted the law to cover up their mess – up activities as the law permit that the members of the same political party can file for redress, but how can that happen as its rare and seldom for a kingdom to rise against itself.
The court in their own also solidified the law as the judiciary in their supreme power of applying and interpreting the law has at several occasions held that for a person that’s not a party member to probe into the wrong that’s committed by a political party in-door, amounts to probing into their internal affairs and it will stand for being busybody.
Sentiment Aside, the position of law on this, is without human face and it should be reconsidered.
READ ALSO: UNDERSTANDING THE JURISDICTION OF THE AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE’S RIGHT
It may be in your favour today but remember tomorrow.
Many shenanigans and evil are being perpetrated by our political parties in their internal level and all that usually boost their strength is that it cannot be challenged by outsiders (opponents) in the court.
I wish, the doctrine of ‘lifting the veil’ should be incorporated here but not to act as its twin brother in corporate law practice but to help to permit other members of the public ( Most Esp. their opponents) into probing through the internal affairs of the political parties that’s orchestrated against their interest.
This will indeed make our political parties to be conscious of some of their activities as they will be aware that other parties are standing by and starring at them as watch-dogs.
Hopefully this may not be achieved now but future will assist us with this, as this was the same thing that was in place in the enforcement of fundamental human right back in the memory but thanks to FREP Rule, 2009.
At this juncture and till this is done, our political party activities will always yield out all kinds of inhumane results and the processes cannot be challenged in the court by other interested persons other than the members of the party that will will rarely do that because of their recited acronym ‘party supremacy’.
I am hopeful, that if the above suggested points are considered, that many wrongs in our political parties shall be corrected with ease.
Thanks for going through this post, The Cliche ” Political Party Internal Affairs In Nigeria”