If politics, devoid of its absurdity, is regarded as the art of governance or the science of state organization, politicians would be regarded as those who are interested in understanding the nature of a State (Country), how it is being governed and by which method.  Since according to a Greek Philosopher, man is a political animal, the assumption is right, we are all politicians.

Nigerian politicians can be simply categorized into different sections – professional politicians, amateur politicians and the rest of us, euphemistically called or labeled arm-chair politicians (media commentators).  Professional politicians all over the world, have sharpened their tools of coming together in various ways to reach the ordinary people called

The Electorate where voting is allowed.  Thus, in a democracy, party politics is a refined way of politicians of similar minds to come ‘together in a political party.

In a democracy, the parties formed provide platforms for their members to contest for public offices of governance.

The concept of party politics is the romance of choice by the electorate between one political party or the other in respect of programmes of action if elected.  In the 1920s_1930s when voting was introduced in Lagos and Calabar, it was possible for the electorate (voters) to choose between contending parties, based on the programmes if elected.

The great parties of the time are _ Nigeria National Democratic Party (NNDP) of Herbert Macaulay and the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) of Dr Abayomi.  The area of contest was  which party could fight for lower personal taxes and local rates.

In 19th Century England, it was a case of being born a Tory or Liberal, the two leading parties of the time.  In Nigeria, over the years, between the colonial and past Independence periods, various political parties had appeared and disappeared.

In the 1950s, Nigeria operated a Constitution which recognized regional autonomy, and political parties were based on regional platforms.  The Northern Peoples‘ Congress (NPC) was purely a Northern party with its programmes and actions rooted in total development of Northern Nigeria.

The Action Group (AG) of the West was a party for the economic development of the Western State alone, while the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) was consigned to the Eastern part of the country, despite the nebulous concept of its ‘ONE NIGERIA‘ ideology.

Thus before 1960, the three great parties could not be mistaken in terms of ideology based on undiluted regionalism.  The leading politicians of the time could not but be rightly called, Regional Leaders, an apt description.

It could be sadly recollected that before the first military coup of 1966, politics was dominated by politicians dyed in the school of regionalism who would do everything to covert the riches of the nation to their areas.  The military coup of 1966 carried out by the ‘military politicians‘ under the guise of nationalism, put an end to regionalism in its crude form and substituted another political jargon – military dictatorship.

Inability of operators of strange military despotism led to the unnecessary civil war to crush the new nation, Biafra, after the failure of peace moves in Aburi, Ghana.  Although reconciliation could not be achieved in Aburi, the ABURI DECLARATION which arose from its ashes, if properly digested and chewed could have with the Northern 8 POINTS PROGRAMME, provided a working programme for Nigeria‘s political stability and consequently, economic prosperity.

If the politicians of the post military era had been wise enough to base their ideologies and programmes on future form of Nigerian State, the choice before the electorate would have been easy.

Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, the country has been ruled by a dominant single party with pocket of other parties confined to their restricted areas of influence.  The ruling party (PDP) controls more than two third‘s of the 36 States and has the largest number of legislators in the Senate and the House of Representatives.  The pity is that such dominance in politics and governance has made little impact on economic development and growth.

The lacakadaisical attitude at the centre might have affected good performance in many States.
It is also a pity that there is no clear cut difference or method of approach in the programmes of existing political parties on critical political issues.  The programmes of all serious parties bear the same slogan – political and economic stability with full employment.

There is a sharp difference between true federalism with fiscal responsibility and the pseudo_federal system being operated at present with States‘ officials queuing in Abuja for monthly sharing of oil money.  The present allocation of revenue between the Federal Government, States and Local Governments is based on facts which do not support fiscal responsibility.

Which single State in the country could sustain itself on its internally generated revenue is a moot point which is being avoided by all parties.  The structure of the nation with some of its imperfections leading to lack of security of life and property is yet to be addressed.

Every political party has been shouting the attainment of Full Employment without stating how to achieve it. The question is, can Nigeria cure its massive unemployment problems through a tightened monetary policy and non-complimentary fiscal measures?  Certainly NOT.