Political Parties and National Integration in Nigeria: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

In a democratic environment, Political Parties are the fulcrum and focal instrument because it set the foundation or the platform for representation in government and politics of a people. As an institution that continuously seeks the control of state power and authority it then behoove on it to set the agenda of integration so as to synergize the strength of bonding for national achievement. However, this can only be achieved through its policy templates, true process of democratization and a more nationalistic outlook instead of sectionalism amidst others. Nigeria, as a country have been persistently challenged with the problem of achieving a common front due to the myriad of factors that continuously bifurcate every of its fiber or fabrics. Hence, this paper examines the role of political parties in achieving National integration in Nigeria. After using the primary and secondary sources of data collection analysis it was obvi-ous that political parties have continuously failed in integrating the society due to a strong hold on ethnic divides, corruption, unfulfilled promises, thuggery among other negative portraits. Thus, the paper recommends that political parties should reflect a national outlook instead of been primordial, therefore the independent national elec-toral commission should not register parties with parochial ideology more so, citizens should be encourage to massively participate in politics so as to enclose the possibility of election rigging.