25 Years After: Political Ideology Still A Missing Link -By Nurudeen Dauda

The 29th of May of every year is now our “Handover” day and or “swearing” in day as against being a Democracy Day. From the year 2000 to the year 2018 of every year the 29th of May was marked as Democracy Day. However, June 12 of every year is now our new Democracy Day. It is sad to note that, 25 years after, our political parties have neither Ideology nor clear cut differences. Our political parties are more or less platforms for capturing political power no more no less. Their funding mechanisms are still largely from the “State Resources” instead of from individual membership contributions and other activities as done in other climes. Our political parties do not have a clear cut dichotomy in terms of Socio-economic outlooks or programmes.

In my observation, the absence of political party formations based on Ideology is a major set back in our democracy. In advance democracies political parties are ideologically based. People with similar ideology often team up to form a political party in order to promote their politico-economic ideology . They often seek for like minds as their members and or supporters. Members of a political party are supposed to be people who share similar political and or economic ideology.

In simple term, a political ideology could be defined as a set of doctrines or beliefs that are shared by members of a social group which forms the basis for political or economic views. More so, a political ideology is a coherent set of views on politics and what should be the role of government in the state.

Their are two major political ideologies which are : Right-wing, and Left-wing political ideologies. Right Wing political parties favour liberal socio-economic policies with capitalist economic model. On the other hand, the left wing political parties favour centrally planned socio-economic policies with socialists economic model.You can never divorce or detach politics from the economy. You have to stabilize the economy for you to stabilize the Polity.

In my thought, part of the reason for widespread “defections” from one political party to another among our politicians, especially, from the main opposition PDP to the ruling APC and vice versa is lack of political ideology. Politicians only seek for platforms to pursue their political ambitions. In Nigeria one can safely say politicians only join parties in order to have political platforms for contesting elective offices not because they share similar political or economic Ideology. Afterall all the parties have no clear cut differences ideologically. As long as the situation remains defections from one political party to another will remain a permanent feature in our political system.

In my thought, if our political parties are formed based on political ideology the issue of defection from one party to another will reduce drastically. We need political parties formation based on certain politico-economic ideology. Having political parties and their support based on ideology will lead to having members with principles, discipline, commitment, hard- work, sacrifice, and focus where changing parties like changing clothes will be practically impossible or drastically reduce.

For us to get it right, we should and or must discourage politicians from seeking for political power by all means and or through political parties defections. Our politicians should and or must build their parties’ support based on certain political ideology.

For us to get it right, our parties must be ideologically based and our political parties should and or must begin to galvanize their support based through the promotion of a particular Politico-economic ideology not regional or ethnic consideration. Our electorate should and or must be educated towards supporting political leaders based on their Politico-economic Ideologies not regional or ethnic consideration.

May God bless Nigeria!