The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for more inclusive political participation in Nigeria saying that denying women and the disadvantaged group the opportunity to fully participate in politics will continue to impact negatively in the nation’s democracy.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu who made this call in Abuja Monday at the 2019 UN International Day of Democracy Conference organized by Initiative for Citizens’ Rights, Accountability & Development (ICRAD) in collaboration with NHRCobserved that sustainable electoral reform and voter education targeted at supporting women and the disadvantaged group into elective positions of governance, would go a long way to add value to governance.
Ojukwu said women and the disadvantaged group are very critical in the nation’s democratic journey but regretted that factors like electoral violence, vote buying, inducement and other electoral malpractices have combined to pose serious challenges to the political aspirations of this vulnerable group.
According to the Executive Secretary, Citizens’ participation in democracy is a fundamental human right and a critical aspect of democratic and electoral process which is well entrenched under International and Regional Human Rights Law.
He also identified intra-party strife, lack of political ideology, poverty, insecurity, illiteracy/lack of civil education, weak institutions, opposition intolerance and electoral malpractices such as ballot box snatching, disruption of elections in key oppositionstrongholds, resort to violence, killings of opposition members, kidnapping of electoral officers and manipulation of electoral results etc as the challenges facing the nation’s democracy.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director ICRAD, Hassan Luqman Esq said that the theme of this year’s commemoration, “The relationship between Participatory Democracy and Credible Electionstowards ensuring Sustainable National Development” is apt given the increasing need to improve on the nation’s democratic process.
According to the Executive Director, it is a challenge that many Nigerians were periodic participants in the democratic processes of the nation and these categories of persons wait for the electioneeringperiod, take part in the campaign and cast their votes.
