The issue of political party activity funding across the globe is becoming an expensive venture, more especially across Africa due to the fact that the phenomenon is new in relative terms, and to some extent because of the non-existence of formidable fundamental structures to manage the process effectively.

The funding issue will have to be discussed dispassionately across board in an attempt to find credible funding solutions before it breaks the backbone of many African nations and throw their sovereignty into the gutters for an easy grab.

Until a credible alternative is fashioned as against what pertains currently, it will dampen the spirit of nationhood and increase the threat of political violence across the continent with several consequences.

Political parties refuse to accept election results and to concede defeat due to heavy financial baggage and deficit, while incumbent parties hesitate to hand over power for the fear of running into financial difficulties, which is directly related to monies borrowed from within and externally to finance their political party activities.

Once parties incur a lot of debt and then get into a political office, they overprice contracts and in some cases award frivolous contracts to political party financiers to deflate their debts, leaving the state to much vulnerability and less space for developmental projects.

This is exacerbated by the regime of the winner-takes-all, which is characterised by confusion, consternation and frustration from the disappointed masses, threatening the peace and security within individual states and across borders.

It’s time the political elites began to brainstorm on the way forward in order to curb a worrying situation that has the dangerous potential of creating an unstable atmosphere and political crises on the African continent.

The earlier we woke up to this reality and begun to be proactive with it, the better it will be for us all as a people struggling to ride the animal called democracy and its challenges in governance.

By: Richard Kumadoe, Fraud & Security Consultant
RICHQUEST CONSULT
[email protected]