INTERNAL DEMOCRACY AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examines the activities that take place among political parties in Nigeria as they affect democratic governance. All elections are enhanced only by political parties because they stimulate voters to go out and take the trouble to vote.  However, this platform has been bedeviled with internal crisis that has affected democratic governance. The lack of internal democracy has also contributed to the growing number of litigations being addressed by elections tribunal and in some occasions, the Supreme Court gives the final verdict. The paper argues that there is a relationship between internal democracy and democratic governance. It further calls to question actions of party members and the ideological basis of political parties in Nigeria. The perpetual internal squabbles among political parties have instituted the culture of cross-carpeting as an acceptable norm at the slightest disagreement between party members. The objective of the study is to point out the impact of lack of internal democracy on democratic governance in Nigeria. The methodology adopted in this paper the descriptive method and the use of books and journals. The findings of the study indicate that rather than political parties operating based on ideology, political office seekers have tended to capitalize on ethnicity and religion; this practice has affected democratic governance negatively. Many of such politicians lack the patience to accept results as declared by the electoral umpire as they head for elections tribunal or courts for redress. This has created a situation in which politicians are declared winners and sworn in today only to be removed tomorrow. The paper recommends that the Electoral Act should be amended to address the issue of cross carpeting especially after candidates have been duly elected into office. The Electoral Act should introduce a law that only political parties with ideology be registered and at the same time deregister those with no ideology. It concludes that if political parties improve on their internal democracy, it will significantly promote viable democratic governance and not destroying it.