PARTY SYSTEM AND NIGERIA POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
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PARTY SYSTEM AND NIGERIA POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER ONE
Background of The Study
Political parties in Nigeria emerged during the late 1940s struggle for political independence, when nationalists were at the pre-independence and post-independence stages. Political parties in Nigeria were not ideologically based throughout the pre-independence and early post-independence periods.
Rather, they were regional in nature and centred on individual politicians who they considered as mentors. However, in the last 10 years, parties were registered based on the needs of the time.
This was the scenario until 1998, when the need arose for parties capable of ushering Nigeria into a new age of democracy following more than fifteen years of military rule.
Political parties in Nigeria have historically played and continue to play an important role in achieving democratic goals. Indeed, many political parties have evolved during the last fifty years. Nigeria had a two-party system from 1991 to 1993,
with the government founding the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC). Following the annulment of a presidential election in 1993, the military administration banned the parties. However, Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.
The restoration of democratic government in Nigeria in 1999 resulted in a fresh approach to party politics. The method for registering political parties was liberalised, creating political space for mass engagement in the country’s political activity. In Nigeria now, there are more than fifty registered political parties, yet only a few of them have won any elections.
The few political groups that have dominated the political field to the extent where fears of the country devolving into a one-party state have been stated. Both at the federal and state levels, opposition parties are beginning to defect to the ruling party.
Nigeria, like many other African countries, has seen its fair share of democratic issues over the years, but it has also made some progress. Across the country, there have already been calls for certain changes and improvements in the way political parties are administered and controlled in the coming years.
Many have claimed that Nigeria must implement procedures that protect its inhabitants’ rights to elect leaders of their choosing, as provided for in the country’s constitution.
As Nigeria consolidates its democratic framework and mechanisms, the multi-party system in Nigeria must demonstrate a new degree of dedication to the people’s yearnings and ambitions for more fundamental and lasting development.
The recent 2011 general election in Nigeria had some setbacks, and it drew international attention to our political system. It also prompts people to inquire about our democratic system [voice of Nigeria on Thursday, April 18th, 2013].
Statement of the Problems
Political parties are the main tool of political development in every existing multi-party system, and regardless of their various ideological bends, different political orientations, and victory potentials, they are still allowed to participate in political competition for control of government machinery and people uniting.
Political parties are considered as agents of harmony, peace, and integration in every modern society, however despite this notion, the multi-party system still has several concerns that diverge from the above. As a result, the following questions are now being posed.
Is there a link between Nigeria’s multi-party system and political development?
What are the political ramifications of Nigeria’s multi-party system?
Does Nigeria’s multi-party system ensure democratic consolidation?
Objectives of The Study
The general objectives or goals of this study project are simply to understand the meaning and contributions of the multi-party system in the political history of Nigeria. And these are the precise objectives:
To investigate the relationship between Nigeria’s multi-party system and political progress.
To understand the political implications of Nigeria’s multi-party system.
To determine whether Nigeria’s multi-party system ensures democratic consolidation.
The Significance of the Research
This study will be important in the following ways:
For starters, it would assist decision-making organs and institutions in Nigeria in determining the grounds for political party creation in order to promote national integration and political progress.
Second, it will significantly contribute to academic knowledge about the role of political parties in political development.
Furthermore, it will raise knowledge and instill a feeling of responsibility in political party members about their role in achieving good governance and political growth.
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses are offered in response to the research question posed for this study.
In Nigeria, there is no close association between multi-partism and political progress.
The multi-party system has both positive and negative repercussions for Nigeria’s political development.
In Nigeria, the multi-party system does not achieve democratic consolidation.
Methodology
The primary method of data collecting used in this research endeavour is secondary sources. This approach is used because of its inherent values. Secondary sources used in this study included materials such as newspapers, magazines, textbooks, the internet, journals, government publications, official documents, and so on,
which helped us gain an understanding of the origins and development of political parties in the country, as well as the nature of their operational patterns. This study use content analysis as a method of investigation. This entails interpreting meaning into materials gathered with the goal of reaching a credible and verifiable conclusion.
scope of The study
The aim of this study is solely focused on examining the level of development produced by the multi-party system in Nigeria’s political realm. It also focuses on the party system, the history of Nigerian political parties, and political party connections.
The work is severely limited because there is no available financial support to aid in the collection of sufficient material for this study, and the short time frame for the investigation also made it impossible to collect as much information as feasible for the study.
Definition of Terms
Politics: Politics is inherent in a man’s social existence, which is why Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, argued that man is a political animal. Prof Okwudiba Nnoli defined politics as the emergence of state power, the consolidation of a state power, and the use of a state power.
A political party is an organised collection of persons who strive to capture control of the government in order to reap the benefits of such authority. Furthermore, a political party is a regular and permanent organisation comprising a specific number of people interested with gaining or retaining power.
A political party, on the other hand, is any group, no matter how loosely organised, that seeks to elect governmental office holders under a specified banner. In other words, a political party can be defined as a group of persons or groups who aspire to take government power in order to implement their ideals.
A political party system:
A party system is made up of all the parties in a country, as well as the laws and norms that control their behaviour. It simply refers to the development, structure, and organisation of political parties.
Election: An election is a process of voting and being voted for by qualified citizens of any country; qualifying may be educational or, in some situations, based on experience.
An election is the process by which members of an organisation or community elect representatives to positions of power within it.
Political evolution:
Political development can be defined as the process of a country’s political transformation. It is an event that causes a situation to alter or progress, a state in which something is still evolving.
Multi-party system: A multi-party system is simply the presence of three or more parties in a given state. A country with three or more viable parties is said to have a multi-party system of government.
However, a country may have three or more parties but still not be considered a multi-party system country since viable strong opposition parties must exist in order for a coalition government to form.
Democracy is derived from the Greek words “demos,” which means “the people,” and “kratein,” which means “to rule.” As a result, it is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is also a form of governance in which citizens have full rights and obligations to participate in governmental policies and decision making.
Power is the power to make people (or objects) do things they would not have done otherwise. In other terms, power is the ability to force someone or anything to do what you want, or the ability to act and secure conforming behaviour.
Electoral Commission: This is the body in charge of conducting elections in the country; in Nigeria, for example, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is an example of an electoral body.
Voting: The open or secret statement of one preference for a person, a party, or a cause–a secret ballot is thus viewed as a necessary prerequisite for the expression of free choice.
Tyranny: This is tyrannical government. A tyranny acts like a dictator, but not always in the best interests of the people. Tyranny is a sort of despotism that is harmful.
A general election is a form of election in which all of the electorate in a country votes on the same day to elect members to the government.
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