2019: Not Too Young To Run movement kicks against automatic tickets, calls for free and fair party primaries

macfranc007 October 01, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Jerrywright Ukwu

- The Not Too Young To Run movement has released a statement on the conduct of primary elections in Nigeria's political parties

- The movement kicked against the imposition of candidates under the guise of automatic tickets

- They expressed worry that the development has become a major threat to the participation of youth, women and persons with disability in politics

The Not Too Young To Run movement has kicked against the imposition of candidates under the guise of automatic tickets and consensus candidacy in political parties primary elections nationwide ahead of the 2019 polls.

In a statement sent to NAIJ.com on Monday, October 1, the movement expressed worry that the development will be a major threat to the participation of youth, women and persons with disability in politics.

According to the group, the imposition of candidates and issuance of automatic tickets reflect a lack of respect for democratic principles and norms, adding that it reduces the competitiveness of electoral politics in Nigeria.

The Not Too Young To Run movement therefore recommends that;

1. Parties should uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in the conduct of primary elections.

2. Parties must provide credible list of delegates and ensure party members are accessible to aspirants, observers and the media.

3. The venue of the primary elections must be made public to all aspirants and other stakeholders.

4. Late hour changes to delegate list and venue of party primaries should be avoided. Changes should be made only after due consultations with stakeholders especially aspirants and their agents.

5. Parties should provide leadership and demonstrate commitment to discourage vote buying as well as enforcing spending limits for campaigns and sanctioning members who use money or gift items to compromise delegates.

The movement urged all political parties to remain accountable to the commitments they made to uphold democratic primaries, warning that any form of imposition or irregularities in the primaries would attract political consequences.

“Any party that discards the youth, does so at its own peril,” the group warned.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com earlier reported that a total of 2447 All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates on Sunday, September 30, endorsed the candidature of Governor Nasiru El-Rufai to contest the 2019 governorship election in Kaduna state.

The committee chairman for the APC gubernatorial primary in the state, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen said while announcing the result in Kaduna that, 33 votes were declared invalid.

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