Opatola Victor: ADR In Political Party Disputes Fails Due To Weak Rule-Based Party Structures In Nigeria
Opatola Victor says weak party structures and lack of enforceable internal rules undermine ADR effectiveness in resolving political disputes.
Opatola Victor says weak party structures and lack of enforceable internal rules undermine ADR effectiveness in resolving political disputes.
ARISE News correspondent, Opatola Victor has raised concerns over the effectiveness of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in resolving political party disputes in Nigeria, arguing that the core challenge lies in the weak, non-rule-based structure of political parties rather than the judicial system itself.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, he said ADR remains a useful concept but is often ineffective because political parties operate without strict adherence to internal rules and enforcement mechanisms.
“The real issue is not basically whether courts are overly involved in party matters,” he said. “The real problem is that political parties in Nigeria are fast becoming less and less rule-based organizations.”
He explained that this weakness allows aggrieved party members to bypass internal mechanisms and rush to courts by framing disputes as constitutional matters.
According to him, ADR can only function effectively if political parties embed it within their constitutions as a mandatory pre-litigation process.
“If political parties adopt mediation, that is fine,” he said, “but it must be part of their constitution and must be binding before anyone approaches the courts.”
He also noted that compliance remains a major challenge, as many party members abandon ADR outcomes when rulings do not favour them.
“We often see that when the results do not favor them, they withdraw from the process,” he said.
He further suggested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could serve as an unbiased arbitration body for internal party disputes if properly empowered.
“INEC could be an unbiased arbiter that resolves issues between individuals within political parties,” he added.
However, he warned that transparency must not be sacrificed for privacy in political ADR processes, stressing that democratic accountability requires openness.
“Privacy in this particular instance is not in the interest of voters and not in the interest of democracy,” he said.
He concluded that for ADR to be effective in Nigeria’s political space, it must be legally structured, time-bound, enforceable, and supported by strong institutional backing.
