Politics, Stilted by Absence of Ideology
Even at 52, Nigeria’s brand of politics is still lacking in the
ideology required to strengthen her evolving democracy, writes Olawale
Olaleye
Like an unfathomable riddle, the nation’s political experiment has
still presented a quintessential case study in ideology-based practice.
For many a pundit, through their wired intrigues and practice, it is not
difficult to discern that politicians in the country generally form
political parties for the sole purpose of contesting and winning
elections. It is not so much the establishment of political platforms
set up for the purpose of development and on the basis of deep political
and economic convictions.
Often times, emerging political gatherings – of old and young
politicians – are celebrated but without introspection on whether or not
such gatherings are fixed on set goals. Since independence, Nigeria has
had a flurry of political associations and parties. Whilst some died no
sooner than they were birthed, others evolved with time and
metamorphosed into new ones but only in name.
However, between the First and Second Republics, political parties that
existed were ideology driven. They included the Northern People’s
Congress (NPC) – dominated by Northern Nigeria; the Action Group (AG) –
dominated by the people of South-western Nigeria; National Convention of
Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), as it came to be called after 1960 –
dominated by people of South-eastern extraction. They were believed to
be ideology-driven because at the time, it was clear what each of the
parties stood for, as much as the clear differences that existed between
them, barring the ethnic leanings.
For instance, the NPC was conservative and not very inclined towards
the hurried exit of the British colonial masters, pre-independence. The
AG, as it were, was more socialist in outlook with Marxists doctrinal
beliefs that the state should be paternalistic. However, the NCNC could
be referred to as liberal or centrist, with a somewhat moderate stance
on issues. Indeed, this was believed to have accounted for its
significant following in the South-west.
Perhaps, as many have argued, strong fiscal federalism, coupled with
regionalism after independence, strengthened the political parties at
the time, as each strove to produce results in their region of
dominance. The regions in turn were responsible for socio-economic
development in areas like health and education, leaving the center to
confront issues such as finance, international relations, customs,
immigration, national security and related sectors, exclusive to it.
Talking about ideology-based politics, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s example
usually comes handy because of his welfarist approach to governance. His
party, the Action Group, grew in stature beyond the confines of the
Western Region as his lieutenants ensured that the party’s decisions
were implemented down the line. The result of such carefully
conceptualised programmes was the progress witnessed in the entire
region, which stoked competition in other regions. Awolowo was clearly a
step ahead of his contemporaries because of his disposition to
progressive politics.
To think that Awolowo maintained the tempo when he inaugurated the
Unity Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic also showed consistency.
The UPN under his leadership had a clear-cut ideology akin to that of
the defunct AG and the cardinal points were broad. The five states that
emerged under the party’s control outrivaled others in grassroots
development and were in sync with the party’s integrated rural
development approach.
But soon after the military interregnum, true fiscal federalism was
crippled, thus paving the way for today’s centrist structure. Since
then, successive political parties have not reintroduced ideologically
based politics.
Observers believe that ideal political parties must have a recognisable
personality and character. But with the mushroom of political parties
in contemporary Nigeria, nothing appears to be exciting about their
pattern of politics, especially when the players are can be deemed to
have been recycled and whose primary reason for forming new parties or
crossing over to others is to regain the power and influence they had
lost in their former folds. This, pundits say, is contrary to what
underscores ideological politics where parties are vehicles for
development with a disciplined commitment to good governance and party
ethos.
Playing opposition politics, analysts contended, goes beyond flowery
rhetoric. It is connected more with well-organised machinery that
criticises intelligently, chips in accolades where necessary and
carefully provides alternatives to governance and leadership as well as
policy execution.
But what is prevalent now are pretenders who make noise for the purpose
of negotiating with those in authority, for as long as they can play
out their deception into believing they command sizeable political
followings that can prejudice the political interests of opponents in a
given equation.
Unfortunately, the hypocrisy of the present formation, analysts say, is
that certain members of a political party will publicly deride their
party and still not toe the honourable path of quitting on the pretext
that as founding members, they would not quit for people who do not know
how far they’d come. Such disposition, observers believe, is inimical
to the interest of ideology-based politics.
It is yet a common denominator in virtually all the parties in
contemporary Nigeria– from the PDP to ACN, CPC, APGA and ANPP. The
opposite is the case in other climes. Anyone who despises his party and
sees it as undemocratic in practice on the basis of ideology quits and
goes ahead to either form a new party or pitch tent with those whose
ideologies tally with his. Such attitude is believed to demonstrate the
democratic practice of the individual as evident in his principle.
This, notwithstanding, observers often found excuses for the nation’s
present situation. One of the very common arguments is that the return
to democracy in 1999 saw an individual, late Chief Bola Ige, participate
in the drafting of the constitution and manifestos of virtually all the
political parties, a situation that gave birth to the parties
brandishing nearly the same constitution and manifestos without
distinctive differences. To date, there has been no conscious effort to
carve out distinct identities and leanings, despite the claim by some to
either being progressive or conservative.
But as Nigeria marks her 52 independence anniversary, analysts believe
that a conscious shift in the direction of ideological politics will not
only help redefine her structure, it will also enhance her democratic
tenets and consequently begin to evolve into the dreams of her founding
fathers.
