INTRA-PARTY DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF PDP, APC, AND LP IN THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Ibrahim Shaba Yahaya and Aliyu Adavuruku John
Volume 4 Issue 1
Abstract
The transition from military dictatorship to democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999 rekindled the hope of Nigerians after over three decades of militarisation characterised by impunity, monumental corruption, human rights abuse, oppression, and insecurity. However, democratic governance in the Fourth Republic has been characterised by party politics that have weakened Nigerian democratic institutions. This study examines the nexus between political parties and intra-party democracy in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, with specific focus on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP) during the 2023 presidential election. Adopting a qualitative research methodology based on documentary analysis of party constitutions, electoral laws, election observer reports, and academic literature, the study finds that political parties in Nigeria have not been fully institutionalised. The study reveals that intra-party conflict, ideological contradictions, godfatherism, and elite-dominated party politics are visible in the conduct of government and politics. The period since 1999 has witnessed the birth, demise, and merger of political parties characterised by poor ideological manifestation, corruption, extortion, influence peddling, fraud, embezzlement, and nepotism. These developments pose great challenges to political party development and democratic consolidation, threatening democratic processes, security, and the socio-economic well-being of citizens. The study concludes that the absence of robust intra-party democracy has fundamentally undermined the quality of Nigeria's democracy. The study recommends that democratic institutions should be strengthened to prevent systemic collapse and politicisation of core government policies; party leaders should be discouraged from imposing candidates on party members; party rules should be strictly adhered to in nomination processes; citizens should be sensitised on the importance of political participation and demanding accountability from political leaders; and all key players in Nigeria's electoral process government, judiciary, electoral body, civil society, and religious institutions should vigorously commit to strengthening the democratic system. Keywords: Democracy, Political Parties, Intra-Party Democracy, Godfatherism, Political Corruption, Fourth Republic, 2023 Presidential Election
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