Internal Party Democracy, Party Candidature, and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria's Fourth Republic

Abstract

This article investigates the major reasons accounting for the failure of internal party democracy (IPD) in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, despite extensive constitutional and other legal provisions to guarantee it. I examine the parody of IPD in Nigeria, exemplified in faulty processes employed in the nomination of political party electoral candidates. In doing so, I establish that the nonuse (practice) of IPD in the nomination of party candidates for elections weakens party unity and institutionalization, and negatively affects democratic consolidation. The article posits that attempts to institutionalize IPD through state‐mandated legislations apparently do not guarantee that party leadership will abide by it in a high‐formalism environment. Yet this does not undermine the necessity for performance‐driven, rather than control‐driven, state legislations for parties if party institutionalization and democratic consolidation will be enhanced. The research provides further grounds for understanding the intricacies of IPD, party organization, and institutionalization in a democratizing environment, such as Nigeria. Related Articles Related Media Daily Newswatch. . “Nigeria's Political Parties Lack Internal Democracy—Chigbo.” http://www.mydailynewswatchng.com/nigerias‐political‐parties‐lack‐internal‐democracy‐chigbo/ Nigerian Voice (Uche Wisdom Durueke's Blog). . “Africa's Biggest Political Party: PDP and Its Internal Crisis.” http://nigerianvoice.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/africas‐biggest‐political‐party‐pdp‐and‐its‐internal‐crisis/ This Day Live. . “INEC Blames Desperation, Absence of Internal Democracy for Election Violence.” http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/inec‐blames‐desperation‐absence‐of‐internal‐democracy‐for‐election‐violence/170504/

Impact of Women Under-representation in Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Nigeria

“…It can be said that women's oppression, the imposition of candidates on women, the loss of an active voice on women's equality with men, and the injustice and lack of equity in decisionmaking in the legislature are examples of how women's rights are not protected (Cassola et al, 2014;Wood, 2019). The absence of women's representation indicates that the problem of women's representation in Nasarawa State is unique and therefore requires an academic study to understand it (Aleyomi, 2013;Ikeanyibe, 2014;& Tambari, 2017). Although these studies revealed a lot about women's underrepresentation in state assemblies in Nigeria and other African nations, they neglected the impact of women's underrepresentation in the NSHA, necessitating the need for the current study.…”

Youth Inclusion in American and Egyptian Political Party Management

“…In addition to these functions, political parties are required by the law to have an organizational structure that enables their leaders and members to run their affairs (Ikeanyibe 2014). Although Forman and Baldwin (1999) maintained that there is no unified way of organizing political parties, van Biezen (2003) and Salih and Nordlund (2007) YOUTH AND PAR TY MANAGEMENT point out that political parties are mostly built from the bottom up with sectoral committees acting as executive organs at the local, regional, and national levels, and a national congress to which all these local committees are accountable.…”

“…Nevertheless, the dilemma remains: Today's apathetic young people could well become tomorrow's apathetic older people, leading thereby to the withdrawal of an important segment of the population from the official political arena (Shea and Bliss 2004). Ikeanyibe (2014) contends that without institutionalized political parties, especially in developing countries, the ability to temper and aggregate interests, or deliberate and reach agreement on compromises, may be threatened. The argument is a powerful one demonstrating the need for formal political arenas where the arts of deliberation, compromise, and reaching peaceful agreement can be learned and practiced.…”

The ‘David and Goliath’ and 2015 Election Outcomes in Nigeria: From the Opposition to the Ruling Party

“…In the same vein, Obah-Akpowoghaha (2013) posited that lack of internal democracy within political parties is a limiting factor in Nigeria’s attempt to deepen, sustain or consolidate democracy. Also, Ikeanyibe (2014) established that lack of internal democracy in nomination of party candidates for general elections weakens party unity and institutionalisation of Nigerian political parties, and as well, negatively affects democratic consolidation in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Similarly, Ikechukwu (2015) noted that absence of internal democracy is one of the major factors leading to party defections with ominous consequence for democratic consolidation in Nigeria.…”