FEATURE: NIGERIAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE DEARTH OF IDEOLOGIES

 

NIGERIAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE DEARTH OF IDEOLOGIES

Political development since inception has attached particular importance to Political Ideas and Ideologies. There is nothing as important as an idea whose time has come.

Political ideology was an important vehicle of a political party. And there was normally no political party without a manifesto during her electioneering campaign.

 

Political parties in Nigeria up to the second republic were driven by meaningful ideological stance. The electorate had the opportunity to vote in terms of party ideology rather than vote for personality.

 

During the days of the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Action group (AG), for instance, were Social Democrats, and when you voted AG, you would be sure to access free education if the group won the election.

Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria was clearly Progressive while the National Party of Nigeria was un-compromisingly Conservative.

 

Towards 1993, the two political parties (SDP and NRC) were “a little to the left and right of centre.” There the problem started. The constitutions and manifestoes of the parties were midwifed by the military.

 In the current dispensation, the Manifestos and Constitutions of the major political parties reportedly have a common source. Nigerian political parties have more similarities than differences, the only visible difference being their names.

 

Today we lack parties that prioritize the needs of the citizens. What the country parades today are parties that unashamedly lack ideology.

 What we have today are parties whose manifestos are unknown to the electorate. These parties do not articulate any public policy decision.

 Political parties can only perform their fundamental roles as well as ensuring democratic consolidation through meaningful ideological disposition.

Nigerian political parties have been manifesting ideological indisposition resulting in poverty of ideology.

 

The conflicts within and between All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a pointer to our political status as a country. The poverty of ideology has been spreading like hurricane in Nigeria since the inception of the fourth republic.

When individuals that make up parties in Nigeria are not driven by any political ideology and leaders of political parties do not form and maintain political ideologies, cross carpeting from one party to another will continue.

 Political parties, without ideologies, have become just platforms for actualization of personal ambitions.

 

Today, calling a Political Party Progressive or Conservative is a fallacy. The parties are peopled by the same set of people in a whirlpool always shuffling and reshuffling. That is why it is possible for two major political parties to swap governorship candidates in consecutive elections.

 

Until the political parties in Nigeria regain their original functions and purposes, cross-carpeting will continue to make nonsense of Political Party Loyalty and Commitment.

 

Until political party manifestos become once more the consideration of voters in an election and not who the candidate is, elections and by extension governance will continue without directions.

 Until the dearth of ideologies in political parties is addressed, it will be impossible to hold political office holders responsible for their in-actions.

 Until Political Parties have clear cut ideologies and manifestos, no politician can be labeled Conservative, Liberal of Progressive.

 Until there are specific ideologies are attached to political parties by politicians and the electorate, the citizens should not expect anything from people in government but products of their individual and personal whims and caprices.