African Integrity Magazine – Towards Sustainable Democracy In Nigeria: The Role Of Political Parties

Towards Sustainable Democracy In Nigeria: The Role Of Political Parties

Jan 15, 2016 Samuel Issues 0

There is perhaps no topic more compelling and relevant than the one for today’s discourse, especially in the light of our today’s current democratic experience. It is exigent that I begin my presentation with definitions of some terms as used in the topic under discussion.

Although my definitions of Democracy abound in theory and practice, the one universally is that advanced by Abraham Lincoln, which says that Democracy is the Government of the people, by the people and for the people. The abiding principle of a democratic government is majority rule, one in which supreme power is held by the people under a free and fair electoral system.

In apparent recognition of this universal concept of democracy, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended (1999) in section 14, (2a) proclaimed that ‘sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom Government through this constitution derives all its powers and authority.’ Sub-section 2b and 2c respectively states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government and the participation of the people in their government shall be ensured.

To achieve sustainable democracy, we must understand that there is more to democracy than elections and voting. The fact that a nation chooses its leaders through the ballot box does not necessarily translate to democracy. There are certain tenets upon which any democracy can be nurtured and sustained. These are sovereignty of the people. Majority rule and minority rights, the rule of law and good governance, respect for civil and political rights, mass literacy, economic prosperity, social development, free press, and an independent judiciary. Sustainable democracy is attainable when conditions listed above are prevalent in the society.

What is a political party? The commonest definition of a political party is the one by Wikipedia, the free online dictionary, which defines a political party as ‘an organisation of people which seeks to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power.’ If we agree that politics is the struggle for acquisition of control and use of state power, then political parties are the vehicle for attaining that goal. In democracies worldwide, political parties are elected by the electorates that form a government. Except where the constitution makes provision for independent candidates, politicians stand for election as representatives of different political parties.

Political parties and sustainable democracy

There is a very good relationship between sustaining democracy and sustenance of political parties. Over the years various societies in Europe, America, and even the Far East have tended to gravitate towards a two-party system to largely aggregate the multi-interests of people.

Even when there are minor parties at the national level, there seems to be a drift towards a two-party system globally. The reason is simple. It simplifies the choice for the electorate and allows the people to decide which group of people should rule over them at a given point in time while the party that is not favoured at that point becomes the opposition. Hence party in government and opposition has generally come to be accepted as a major ingredient in growth and sustenance of democracy.

Democracy is deepened and sustainable when there is good governance and this must be the central goal of the party in power. Good governance is imperative for social and economic progress. There are four key indicators of good governance in any society viz:

Rule of law- democracy is short-changed by decision making that is democratic only in name. The constitution and actual written laws must be obeyed and upheld, while due process must be followed. Things must be done in an orderly, predictable manner, and for sustainability of democracy, political parties, particularly the ruling party must have respect for democratic governance and democratic institutions.

Good governance requires the development and strengthening of independent state institutions like the security agencies, a functional legislature (allowed to express itself), and a viable and independent judiciary. Every effort must be made to ensure that these institutions properly and optimally with or without the human actor. Human beings come and go but institutions remain. When these institutions are firmly established and devoid of political control and manipulation, they guarantee the regularity of human conduct and people can predict how the system will respond in a given situation.

Democracy is undermined when actions or inactions of state institutions appear tainted with partisanship or hypocrisy. I am fully in support of the current anti-corruption war of the federal government; it is about time we deal with the monster of corruption in our society and sanitize the polity with sound anti-corruption actions and policies. But institutions must be democratic and civil in their actions, and the rule of law must be a guiding principle. Due process must be followed and an integrity test must be performed within the institutions, and their application of the law among the citizenry, ensuring there is no bias in order to retain public confidence.

The party in government must be seen to drive the process with sincerity of purpose to ensure by-in by all. I suggest therefore that in the fight against corruption, the norm will be for the anti-graft agency to first conclude its investigation, indict persons involved, then arrest them and immediately proceed with prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction. With this in place, the integrity of the process and outcomes will be better.

Fulfillment of campaign promises- democracy is advanced when elected political leaders fulfill the promises made to their constituents during electioneering campaigns. There is nothing worse than unfulfilled promises in a democratic system. When leaders act as if promises they made during campaigns do not matter it erodes the trust and confidence of the people in the system.

Political leaders at all levels must realize that promises are made to be kept. That is the only way to maintain the trust and confidence that is necessary between the people and their leaders for sustainable democracy.

Leadership by Example- leaders must commit to lead by example, deepening the democratic process through an altruistic lifestyle and moral rectitude. To quote George C. Marshall “democracy is the most demanding of all forms of government in terms of the energy, imagination and public spirit demanded of the individual.” therefore, it is incumbent on elected officials to be good role models in transparency, humanity, accountability and servant-leadership.

Viable political parties- finally, another contributory factor to good governance and, by implication, sustainable democracy is viable political parties. Sustainable democracy is dependent on the existence of well-functioning and well-funded political parties political parties are crucial factors in bringing together diverse interests. Recruiting and sponsoring candidates and developing competing policy proposals that provide people with a choice. There is, therefore, no substitute for open competition between political parties in a democracy.