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    The document discusses the history and evolution of political parties in Nigeria. It describes how political parties first developed in the 19th century in western democracies and were later established in Nigeria in the 1920s by nationalist leaders and movements opposing colonial rule. It then outlines the major political parties that existed in Nigeria during different republics, from the pre-independence era to the current fourth republic.

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    The document discusses the history and evolution of political parties in Nigeria. It describes how political parties first developed in the 19th century in western democracies and were later established in Nigeria in the 1920s by nationalist leaders and movements opposing colonial rule. It then outlines the major political parties that existed in Nigeria during different republics, from the pre-independence era to the current fourth republic.

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    The document discusses the history and evolution of political parties in Nigeria. It describes how political parties first developed in the 19th century in western democracies and were later established in Nigeria in the 1920s by nationalist leaders and movements opposing colonial rule. It then outlines the major political parties that existed in Nigeria during different republics, from the pre-independence era to the current fourth republic.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    13 views3 pages

    1612037998joy 7

    Uploaded by

    alexzanderjohn3
    The document discusses the history and evolution of political parties in Nigeria. It describes how political parties first developed in the 19th century in western democracies and were later established in Nigeria in the 1920s by nationalist leaders and movements opposing colonial rule. It then outlines the major political parties that existed in Nigeria during different republics, from the pre-independence era to the current fourth republic.

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    NAME: OINU JOY OCHOLONGWA

    MATRIC NUMBER: 19/MHS03/019


    LEVEL: 200
    COLLEGE: SMS
    DEPARTMENT: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
    COURSE: GST 203
    POLITICL PARTIES IN NIGERIA
    BRIEF HISTORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES
    Political Party is an invention that was developed in the 19th century
    with response to the appearance of elections including a large amount
    of voters. It was developed by politicians as a
    means to help themselvesand like-minded friends get elected, but the
    party proved to have other uses. The political party became an
    everywhere feature of modern politics especially in the age of mass
    participation. In liberal-democratic systems, they help to keep
    governments accountable to public opinion, even in autocratic system
    of government, it helps the government maintains its hold on power. It
    primarily shows that political parties are an important link between
    government and the people.The first modern electoral democracy was
    the United States of America and also the first
    place political parties were developed. By the 1820s, there were well
    organized parties such as the Democratic Party which was the oldest
    political party in the party. Political parties in
    Europe developed whenever a reasonably large and varied electorate
    was established with the coming of democracy. Just like in Britain,
    1867 was the first year there was a reasonably widespread extension of
    votes. While political parties in Nigeria were developed following the
    growth of nationalist consciousness and sentiments, and nationalists
    movements in the 1920s.
    CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION OF THE IDEA OF POLITICAL
    PARTY
    A political party performs so many tasks in the political process that is
    difficult to establish a single definition.There are as many definitions
    as there are many political thinkers willing to define it. The textbook
    highlights about seven definitions by different scholars.It focuses on
    definitions from thinkers such as R.G Gettel, Herman
    Finer, Joseph LaPalombara, Agbaje, Edmund Burke, Dowse and
    Hughes and Shively. From all the opinions of the above the textbook
    was able to infer an acceptable definition which is; a political party is
    a group of citizens, more or less organized, having some agreement in
    broad principles of national policy with an effort to capture political
    power by some constitutional means. It also highlighted a few
    characteristics of political parties such as the aim of capturing
    governmental power through constitutional means, having broad
    principles of public policy adopted as what is known as the party’s
    ideology that is the principles that guide the party’s every move and
    decision. It has other characteristics such as that every political party
    must be national-minded, meaning its aims must include the national
    interest of the country or nation, it must have an effective
    organizational structure, it must be in possession of a party’s
    manifestoes and a party constitution. The textbook also educated us on
    the types of political parties i.e. elitist/cadre parties formed by the most
    elite in a society, mass parties formed by persons from all parts of
    society, ideological parties, broker parties made by the lower and upper
    classmen of society to form a bridge between both social classes, and
    the charismatic party made up of individuals with charisma.
    The textbook went out to name ten functions of political parties such
    as for political education, political representation, political stability,
    interest aggregation etc.
    EVOLUTION OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN NIGERIA
    As mentioned earlier, political parties developed in Nigeria following
    national sentiments, consciousness, and movements.
    Here nationalist agitators formed groups and associations, to take a
    stand against colonial misrule. This was the reason for which the parties
    namely the National Congress of British West Africa
    Territories (1920), the West African Students Union (1925) and the
    Lagos Youth Movement (1934), with their founders Herbert
    Macaulay(proposed father of nationalism in Nigeria),H.O. Davies,
    Ernest Ikoli, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and others were
    precursors of political parties in Nigeria even as they were the
    beginning of the nationalist movement they also were at the forefront
    of the political activities and party formation in the 1920s and
    thereafter. The pre-independence parties in Nigeria were formed due to
    a number of factors and as well as being a result from certain situations.
    Examples of these factors as well as situations are the constitutional
    development of 1922, to achieve complete autonomy within the British
    Empire, to seek total independence for Nigeria, to campaign against the
    constitution of 1946, from cultural associations due to the prospects of
    the 1951 election following the constitution of that year, for political
    power in the western region, for control in the North, for the creation
    of the middle belt region etc. there were also highlighted problems
    which confronted these political parties such as; the fact that these
    parties didn’t have national interest at the heart of its affairs; it placed
    too much efforts on personalization rather than on issues; interparty and
    intra party conflicts split the parties into factions; political party
    defection weakened or led to the collapse of political parties etc. The
    political parties of the second republic were recorded (i.e. after the ban
    on politics was lifted in September, 1978) based on the elections
    participated in and the states controlled along with the duration said
    states were held by the political parties. In the third republic, the
    transition from military to civil rule allowed for two political parties to
    be registered according to the constitution of1989. This was the first
    time, that Nigeria had a constitutional two party system. The parties of
    this republic had all the officials, congresses, and national conventions
    directed by the government. The fourth republic, which is also the
    current republic had three political parties(the Alliance for
    Democracy,the All Nigeria People’s Party, and the People’s
    Democratic Party) registered in preparation towards the republic in
    1998 by the Independent Electoral Commission. However since the
    inception of the fourth republic the INEC has registered over 40 more
    political parties in the country.
    The main aim of the chapter is to arrest the rampant idea within political
    party leaders that the parties under their management are for furthering
    their personal interests rather to direct their efforts at fostering cohesion
    among Nigerians and engendering the development of the Nigeria.

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