Ahead of the 2019 General Election, the 68 registered political parties in the country on Friday in Abuja adopted and signed a new code of conduct to guide their conducts before, during and after the elections.

The development took place at the two-day “Validation Workshop to Adopt Code for Political Parties in Nigeria” organised by the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre (PPLPDC) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

The Chief Operating Officer of the NIPSS-PPLPDC, Prof. Habu Galadima, said the code passed through rigorous expert review before being presented to the parties to deliberate and agreed upon.

Galadima said the code is a voluntary Code of Conduct providing a set of rules of behaviour for political parties and their supporters relating to their participation in the election process.

He said that the centre is a beneficiary of a 2.7m Euro grant, under the European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EUSDGN) to implement component three of the project aimed to enhance pluralism, tolerance, internal democracy and equality of opportunity of political parties and the political party system.

“Nigerian political parties are largely characterized by observers as lacking clear programmes and ideologies, weak in internal democracy, not inclusive, as well as having a tendency to disregard party and electoral rules.

“As a result, they have often been unable to effectively mobilize and educate the public. Instead, they have been marred by internal crises and have been the purveyors of electoral violations and violence,” he said.

The Project Director of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), David Le Notre, described parties as the primary stakeholders in the political system, and that their conduct impact considerably on the electoral process and outcomes, and by extension the stability of the democratic system.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, represented by a National Commissioner INEC and Chairman Election and Party Monitoring Committee (EPMC) Prof Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, expressed satisfaction for the official signing and adaption of the new Code of Conduct, which has been updated from the one signed on 16 July 2013 by the then 25 registered political parties.

“It is commendable that political parties in Nigeria have remained committed to the idea of developing and operating under a mutually agreed code of conduct that sets the parameters of acceptable behaviour for political parties, their candidates and their supporters throughout the electoral cycle.

“By contributing to and signing the code of conduct, political parties have indeed committed to a pact with Nigerians that their activities will, going forward, be consistent with international best practices and enhance the confidence of citizens in our evolving democratic culture,” she said. (Daily Trust)