Nigeria’s 68 political parties have adopted and signed a new code of conduct to guide their conduct before, during and after next year’s general election. The signing took place in Abuja at a two-day validation workshop for Political Parties in Nigeria by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
TVC News Senior Correspondent, Sumner Sambo reports that the drafting and adoption of the code of conduct by the political parties is part of coordinated efforts by NIPSS under its Political Parties
Leadership and Policy Development Centre (PPLPDC) which has support from donor agencies, to ensure fairplay among contestants and platforms, as part of deepening Nigeria’s democracy.
Officials of the policy institute said the code passed through rigorous expert reviews before being presented to the political parties to deliberate and agree upon.
Representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission and National Commissioner incharge of Election and Party Monitoring Committee, Professor Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, said the new Code of Conduct being adopted, has been updated from the earlier version signed in 2013 by the
then 25 registered political parties.
The NIPSS centre is a beneficiary of an EU grant to implement projects aimed at enhancing pluralism, internal democracy and equality of opportunities among Nigeria’s political parties.