Barr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has urged political parties to resolve internal disputes according to the law and stop blaming the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their challenges. Speaking at a monthly media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike attributed recurring party crises to the flouting of legal procedures, particularly during party congresses and conventions. He referenced past conflicts in the People's Democratic Party (PDP), pointing to a Supreme Court ruling that procedural breaches cannot be dismissed as internal matters. The court, he said, nullified decisions where unauthorised delegates participated or states failed to conduct congresses properly. Wike emphasized that INEC operates within statutory and judicial frameworks and should not be pressured by warring factions. He cited an instance where INEC declined to recognise a faction despite a court order, opting instead to await full legal resolution to preserve impartiality. Political parties, he stressed, must uphold due process to avoid self-inflicted setbacks.
Nyesom Wike's insistence on legal compliance rings hollow coming from a politician whose own party affiliations have shifted amid controversy. If adherence to process were truly non-negotiable, more high-profile party defections and takeovers would face legal scrutiny rather than quiet acceptance. His lecture offers little reassurance when powerful figures routinely bend party rules without consequence. For Nigerian voters, this means election integrity will remain secondary to political convenience.
