Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission and stakeholders in the electoral process, on Wednesday, renewed the agitation for inclusiveness in politics to promote the participation of under-represented groups in Nigeria.

The commission identified lack on internal democracy as one of the biggest challenges it had faced, as political parties were not allowing their members to fully participate in their activities.

INEC said that no political party could grow if it failed to allow members to participate in its activities.

The stakeholders made their submissions in Abuja during a meeting on political party reforms jointly organised by the Election and Party Monitoring Department of INEC in conjunction with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

The Head, Department of EPM, INEC, Aminu Idris, said the commission would always play its role of ensuring that political parties complied with their constitutions, the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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He gave an assurance that INEC would encourage political parties on inclusiveness to allow people, who were at a disadvantage such as women, youths and people living with disabilities, to participate in the electoral process.

Idris said, “The commission in collaboration with Westminster Foundation for Democracy engaged Ibrahim Jibrin, a professor, as a consultant to develop indices, which political parties can use to assess themselves and which INEC can use to assess them.

“The indices will also ensure that the political parties are playing the roles they opt to play, which include enhancing democracy to make it sustainable and seen as a tool of governance.

“One of the biggest challenges we see is lack of internal democracy, whereby political parties do not allow members to fully participate in the activities. If you have a party and you don’t allow members to participate, then the political party can’t grow.”

The Country Representative of the WFD, Adebowale Olorunmola, called on political parties to give more access to women, youths and the affected groups, as they remained the main vehicles for participation.