Civil Society Organisations ,CSOs, in Cross River State have expressed concerns over the single party status of the State House of Assembly.
The CSOs raised the concerns while reacting to Gov. Bassey Otu’s recent statement commending the single party House of Assembly in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, reports that Otu’s party, the All Progressives Congress ,APC, currently occupies all 25 seats in the Cross River Assembly.
Although at the end of the 2023 elections, some seats were won by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, the members later defected to APC.
Also, Mrs Rita Ayim, who won the Ogoja State Constituency seat under the PDP, was removed by the court.
Dr Macphelane Ejah, the Executive Director, International Training Research and Advocacy Project ,ITRAP, told NAN that having a single party legislature was not a good omen in a democracy.
Ejah said that representation at the legislature was intended for the good of the people, and ‘not to the glory of political parties’
“The Governor and members of the assembly do not represent their political party, they represent Cross River people. They should be seen serving the people’s interest”, he said.
The ITRAP official urged legislators in Cross River to work towards promoting the welfare of the people, and not the interests of party faithful.
He said that legislators should outgrow petty party politics, and be more ideology-driven in the interest of efficient service delivery.
“Political parties shouldn’t just be platforms to ventilate aspirations, political parties should hold dear to the ideologies upon which they are established”, he said.
Also speaking, Mr Richard Inoyo, the Country Director, Citizens’ Solution Network, said it was wrong and unfair to celebrate single party legislature in a democratic system.
Inoyo said that having a single party legislature automatically eliminated the voice of vibrant opposition, which was necessary for effective debate.
“I think that this is dangerous. It means that as a state, we may not truly analyse policies of government and review laws in the interest of the people”, he said.
