The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to focus on rebuilding public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system rather than attributing its operational challenges to internal party disputes.

Reacting to recent concerns raised by INEC about the administrative burden caused by intra-party litigations, the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Bamofin Ladipo Johnson, said while such disputes may strain the Commission’s resources, they are not the root cause of Nigeria’s democratic challenges.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, Johnson acknowledged that INEC is often joined as a necessary party in lawsuits arising from party disagreements, a situation he said understandably consumes the Commission’s time and resources.

He said: “It is, in a sense, understandable that INEC complains about the disturbances caused by internal party disputes. “Because the Commission is often joined as a necessary party in these suits, it inevitably drains their time and resources.”

However, he argued that the more pressing issue confronting Nigeria’s democracy is the declining public confidence in the electoral process. “While administrative hurdles are real, I strongly urge the INEC Chairman to recognize a far more dangerous reality,” Johnson said.