NIGERIAN party politics since civil rule in 1999 has been dominated by factions, internal crises, irreconcilable differences, open disagreements among members of the same party, especially those in high public offices. Three parties at the starting line – Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Peoples Party, APP, later All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, and the Alliance for Democracy, AD in 1999 – morphed at a point to more than 50 parties. Their politics is indiscernible.

The main parties in the First Republic were the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, the United Middle Belt Congress, UMBC, the Northern Elements Progressive Union, NEPU, the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC, and the Action Group, AG. Their leaders Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Joseph Tarka, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo had firm grip on their affairs.

From 1979, the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP, Great Nigeria Peoples Party, GNPP, Peoples Redemption Party, PRP and Nigerian Advanced Party, NAP, had their leaders Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, Mallam Aminu Kano, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Augustus Meredith Akinloye, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Mallam Suleiman Takuma, Chief Tunji Braithwaite who were in control.

NPN wooed voters with qualitative education and agricultural revolution; UPN promised free education at all levels; NPP emphasised social justice and reduced dependence on oil revenue. GNPP was mainly known for “politics without bitterness”; PRP championed the cause of the poor, the talakawas, while NAP was renowned for bombast. Ideologically, the parties had identities.

Internal party discipline was strong enough that disagreements were settled mostly internally, dissenting members sought their interests elsewhere. Everyone knew who led the parties.

Today, candidates campaign on their own manifestoes, not their parties’. Parties are ordinary platforms for actualisation of personal desires, rather than vehicles for articulating delivery of services to the people. No single party today has a programme, or manifesto that identifies it with issues it tackles with commitment.

Parties have members with divergent views, people of disparate ideological leanings who are in the same party for the potentials of the platform to provide electoral success. We have a dysfunctional political party system. If the parties had clear-cut programmes, politicking would be saner. Political leadership development would be systematic; unlike the present chaotic system where parties grow leadership by co-option. Co-opted members owe allegiance to their principals rather than to the party, and by extension, the nation suffers the impact of the rumpus.

There is need for a return to genuine, workable, political party system where party discipline would enhance the nation’s political growth and save it from needless political crises driven by personal ambitions.