The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ibrahim Mani, has set aside concerns that the party had compromised its standards to accommodate new entrants, noting that political parties are designed to be inclusive within the limits of constitutional provisions.
He emphasised that the party remained open to building a strong and credible opposition in Nigeria by welcoming new members as part of preparations for the upcoming general elections.
“A political party is an all-comers affair. You cannot categorise people who clearly have no criminal record because the constitutional requirement is that people who have been convicted by a competent court of law are forbidden from coming into political parties to contest elections. Or people who are underage or are not Nigerians,” Mani stated.
He added that while political parties are not meant to exclude people arbitrarily, the ADC is mindful of ensuring its membership aligns with its vision of creating a viable alternative to Nigeria’s dominant parties.
“It doesn’t mean everybody comes in and at the end of the day they are able to achieve whatever political ambition they are coming with. What we are looking at is how to build a party that will be the face of the opposition movement in Nigeria. It’s going to take a lot of time and effort, but what alternative do you have?” he said.