PROLIFERATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study examined Proliferation of political parties and democratic consolidation in Nigeria: A case study of 4th republic political parties. In order to achieve the purpose of this research study, three research questions were raised. The sample of the study consist one hundred (100) respondents selected from Oredo Local Government Area. The participants were drawn from selected wards using the simple random sampling after the population was stratified according to selected wards and data was collected using the aid of a questionnaire. Simple percentage and frequency count were used to analyze the data collected. Findings from the study revealed that political parties play a key role in terms of consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. However, this role is being challenged as a result of lack of a central ideology that defines them or a political framework that gives individuals a sense of belonging to the party they support. Most political parties were formed with the single purpose of achieving electoral victory. What these portend is that ideas whether conservative, liberal, democratic, and labor related that ought to be galvanized by political parties are yet to evolve. The Ability of political parties to adopt a central defining ideology and pursuit of their objectives in unison is important in engendering democratic consolidation in Nigeria. And based on the findings emanating from the study it was recommended that political parties should work to advance political pluralism, increase citizen participation in the political process, broaden the representation of different political opinions and ideologies in the governance process, ensure the peaceful and democratic transfer of political power at both the national and state and local government levels, improve the accountability of governments, and give the necessary legitimacy to both the government of the day and any future governments. More also, for democracy to be viable, political parties need to be robust and resilient, with the ability to represent citizens and give policy options that demonstrate their capability to rule for the common good. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen political parties in order to prevent them from serving as a weak link in the democratic consolidation process.