Is the Party still Supreme?

PAULINUS  NTA

Political science literature defines party system as a governmental , political arrangement where political parties are permitted to organise themselves  for the purposes of forming a government on political party basis, with the intention of meeting up with the complex nature of modern day politics and society for easy and smooth transition of government. In this connection, a party system could be used to describe the entire political system of a country.

Edmund  Burke, an 18th century political philosopher, defined a political party as a group of people who have agreed upon a principle by which the national interest might be served . It could also be seen as any group however loosely organised, seeking to elect government office holders, under any name. The concern of a political party is to struggle for power and control the government through a constitutional process, a feature which  differentiates  them  from  pressure groups .Political parties, as a major feature of democracies, cannot  be discussed outside the ambiends of democracies and republicanism .

The evolution of political parties in Nigeria, dates back to the study of Nigeria’s struggle for political independence and was ignited by the  Elective Principles of the 1922 Clifford’s constitution . One perculiar feature of the development of political parties in Nigeria is that the pre –existing tribal, cultural associations, groups, trade unions etc, metamorphosed into political parties.

Till date, traditional and cultural associations, trade unions, youth groups, religious bodies, have acted as spring boards for the formation of political parties in Nigeria. For instance, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, just developed into the Young Democratic Party, a party that will compete favourably with others in the forth coming elections.

Even though most pre-independence political parties in Nigeria were accused of gross lack of National outlook, and were erected on regional and ethnic loyalty, they had a central ideology and focus which was to gain political independence for Nigeria. Apart from ethnic chauvinism, they were also  chided for placing unnecessary emphacies on individuals, rather than on issues, as they were formed by few ethnic leaders . In spite of these opprobriums, they still had a common goal which pinched on national, not PARTY interest.

Intra and inter party wranglings polarised the parties into warring factions; carpet-crossing weakened and even collapsed some of them , yet critical analysis does not support the charge that the pre- independence political parties were less focusd than today’s political parties.

During the first republic, political parties that existed, in spite of slide ideological differences, had remarkable forms of cooperation that existed among them. They cooperated effectively for the total emancipation of Nigeria from colonial  domination. This spirit manifested after the 1954 election when NPC that won 79 seats in the North, formed  a coalition government in the centre with NCNC that won 65 seats in the East and West while the AG that won27 seats became the opposition party.

That understanding strengthened national unity and created mutual confidence with which a formal motion for Nigeria’s independence was unanimously passed in 1957. It is instructive at this juncture to note that the spirit with which  these parties  fought colonialism  did not  die after independence, but  the cooperation  continued in 1964 when all the parties that warmed up for the federal elections, formed two alliances.

The military, who punctured the first republic, through the 1966 bloody coup, dominated the political scene till October 1st, 1979, when the reluctantly handed power to a democratically elected government, headed by Alhaji Shehu Shagari.  But before then , when the ban on party  politics was lifted, there was rat race and scramble for formation of political associations. Records have it that no fewer than 52 political associations, including Fela Kuti’s Movement Of the People [MOP],were formed, even though the Federal  Electoral Commission, only registered five that contested for the 1979 general elections.

Though the second republic parties were accused of electoral malpractices and gross irregularities, it is on record that the NPN which won the presidential election and ruled Nigeria for 4 years and 3 months, implemented its housing scheme in all the states of the federation, a fact that can be testified even till date. The Abak road Federal Housing estate in Uyo, the Federal housing estate in Calabar and a host of others, are laminated testimonials of achievements of  the second republic political parties.

Though ill- fated, the third republic, under Nigeria’s first and only military president, Ibrahim Babangida, promulgated the  transition to civil rule Decree through which two political parties were registered in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1989. The parties were the National Republican Convention NRC and the Social Democratic Party SDP.

The litany of the achievements of these parties are not necessary here , however what deserves a mention is that the presidential election, believed to be won by Bashorun M.K.O, was annulled by the  ‘’The Maradona’’ himself. A striking achievement that deserve mention here is that political parties then ,encouraged and promoted participatory democracy at all levels even though they were pockets of irregularities.

With vivid nostalgia, I remember the 1993 ward, the party primaries and the elections proper. I remember as a school leaver, with reckless enthusiasm I  ran amog like a fugitive, risking rejection from my military father who disliked the game. There were real contests; there were the soup box oration, the campaigns the tension and off course, the excitement was high.

The issue here is not  which  party won, neither is it about the conduct of the primaries. The issue is not whether there was rigging or not. The issue is that the political parties used to conduct party primaries on open fields. The issue is that there was participatory democracy then.

However, the advent of this current incarnation of democracy marked the turning point of ‘’political buccaneerism’’ , a melting point of political order, abysmal state of ethical decay and a moral spaghetti junction. The fourth republic political parties desacreded the noble institution  of politics. Now the game is controlled by men with stiff nakedness, callous insensitivity and banal arrogance. The fourth republic political parties have returned Nigerians to the pre- independence era where  emphasies were placed on individuals and where personalities were stronger than the states. 

Today crimes are celebrated and criminals, adored. Today people will call you a fool if you hold public office and you cannot  embezzle public money, infact your community will reject and pass vote of no confidence on you for not living up to expectation. The fourth republic parties have introduced Nigerians to politics without vision.

An objective survey, using a  random sampling formula, reveal  that majority of those who play party politics cannot define party ideologies, manifestos , let alone that of the party to which they belong.

Before now,  party decisions and interests were adopted to favour the members of the party. But today, personal –interest decisions that will affect the masses are taken in the bedrooms of  the governor and made to appear as if they were party decisions . Today, ward congresses, party primaries, and even elections are conducted in the sitting rooms of the chief executives after all, the world has been reduced to a global village.

I sympathise with youths who did not experience party politics before the fourth republic. I pity them because they are bereaved of the knowledge of participatory democracy. I pity them because all they know is’’ carry-go, guns  and what more money can do.’’

Scientific analysis will support my claim that present day parties do not have practical and realizable ideologies. Even the so-called change mantra exists in the mind of President Buhari and not in the party .

Pre-independence political parties had, as their leading ideologies, political independence for Nigeria, post - independence parties had the sustenance of the independence , the consolidation of our nationhood  and rebuilding the war-torn Nigeria, third republic parties promoted and encouraged participatory democracy, while the fourth republic parties crumbled the structures of democracy and entrenched political capitalism in our political system.

Before now, the chairman of the party was the leader of the party and the party was supreme, but today, the state governors are the leaders while the party chairmen remain ‘’loyal maids’’ in the government  houses. Today party chairmen, bow and tremble before ‘’real leaders’’ of the parties. 

The parties used to be supreme when they served the interests of the members. But today, the supremacy has vanished into thin air. I am not judging but rather, asking the question, Is the party still supreme?