Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that all institutions for democracy in the country are weak.
Umar Ganduje said the judiciary, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the executive need immediate reforms.
The former governor of Kano State said this on Thursday, while speaking on ‘Judiciary’s Role In Democracy Sustainability‘, at the Ist Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Roundtable, in Abuja, monitored by our reporter.
Ganduje said Nigeria’s judiciary plays important role in the country’s democracy.
He said financial independence and political intervention are some of the challenges facing the third arm of government.
The APC national chairman called on the audience, made up of all political parties leaders, to unite and offer support to the judiciary.
He said, “The judiciary in Nigeria has played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s democracy. In an attempt to play critical role, the judiciary is faced by many challenges, including political intervention.
“As political leaders, we must support efforts to encourage transparency, accountability and integrity in the judiciary to promote democratic sustainability. I would like to state that judiciary plays an important role in Nigeria’s democratic sustainability. As political leaders, we must work collaboratively to strengthen the judiciary, uphold the rule of law and uphold the principles of democracy.”
He explained that institutional reform would help to strengthen the country’s democracy.
He emphasized that leaders come and go but instutitions remain. The APC chairman said institutions ought to rely on its rules and regulations and not leaders.
“Let us use these forum to reflect on the importance of the judiciary in our democratic process and commit ourselves to upholding its independence, accountability and its effectiveness.
“In order to avoid finding ourselves in the vicious cycle, blaming ourselves, blaming the politicians, blaming INEC, blaming security agencies, blaming the judiciary, we continue in vicious cycle.
“What we need the most at the moment is institutional reform to ensure that all our institutions are not relying on leaders, but they are relying on their own rules and regulations because leaders come and go but institutions remain.
“If one institution is faulty and you find out that other institutions that are stakeholders in democracy are strong, then you find out you don’t keep relying on one particular institution.
“But now almost all our institutions of democracy are weak. and will continue in vicious cycle. If the judiciary is not reformed, if INEC is not reformed, if security agencies are not reformed, if the executive is not reformed, if even the common man is not reformed because he is not honest, we will continue to have issues,” Ganduje added.