By Ahmed Ghani Hassan
On 1st July, 2020, I wrote an article with the same tittle which is ‘ethnicity and the non party ideology a hindrance to Democratic development’ I repeated the same tittle now because the contemporary politics of Nigeria is yet to past, the politics of ethnicity and non party ideology, if we look at what happened in Zamfara state over massive defection to the A.P.C by the incumbent Governor and other legislators of the state it shows weakness and backwardness to the political ideology in Nigerian democracy. Zamfara state Governor highly disappoint the People Democratic Party upon all the kindness and support they shown to him. Moreover cross carpeting is one of the major factor that weakened the Democracy in the third world countries particularly Nigeria.
I wonder why Democracy failed after a decades of practicing in Nigeria, but unfortunately the Democratic Government is facing backwardness since the inception of first Republic, the Political parties in first Republic were emanated the tribalistic which each regions dominated by the political party base on ethnic ideology. The Northern people Congress popularly knwon as ‘Jam Iyar mutanen Arewa’ (NPC) which dominated by the Northern People and also the same in the western region were action group political party dominated the Western region (AG) in the eastern region were NCNC dominated and control the eastern region. The first republic has collapsed as a results of many instances among which is the ethnicity, if not because of ethnicity is hardly to overthrown the Goverment by military dictatorship which as a result increase the ethnicity and bigotry in the country where the one side of the country executed coup been a power thirsty.
There was a little bit forward in the second republic where narrow by the one political party NPN which achieved the National outlook where as the President came from the North, The vice President came from the South East and the chairman party came from South West. Even though the main reason for the military intervention in the second republic was not the ethinicity, is just because the menace of corruption, massive rigging in 1983 General election and political instability. But the politics in the third republic Is the best ever in the history of Nigeria reason being that there is absent of socio ethnic problems despite Same religion tickets Nigerians voted wisely Abiola and kingibe despite Tofa being from the North, Abiola gots a high number of votes in the North.
In the fourth Republic democratic dispensation still there was a lot of Ethnicity and non party ideology by the political elites which is serious hidrance to the Democratic Development were by cross carpeting by the political elites in other to protect their personal gains which has been a long time problem to the Nigerian politics. You may find a person who decamp to same Political Party over three times as a result of Non Party Ideology and disrespectful of the Party manifestors. If it continue with this such kind of defection from one party to another in other to clinch the ticket would definitely cause and affect the progress of Democracy and indeed a serious damage to the Democracy, hence the political parties should re design their Party ideoly and Manifestors in other to strengthen the Democratic process in the country. But it’s fallible for the Political parties Under this dispensation, whoever decamp to their Party if he is affluent, he will be given more consideration and dump the one that has party ideology. It’s indeed deceitful.
Evil elements, in our political structure have always played the tribal card in nowadays Politics. Its lamenting in nowadays Politics in Nigeria where by practicing Democracy for decades was a shame yet the country is still on power rotation between the South and the North. I’m on the opinion that every Patriotic Nigerian can join the race inrespective of his tribe, religion or where he came from.Tribalism killed our parents generation, and if we are not careful it would be our undoing also.
It’s also lamenting for the calling by some of the Nigerians if they do not produce a president Nigeria would be split, many people don’t know that it’s a task to keep Nigeria as one country by all the tribes; why,? it is because no one can lives in isolation without the other for instance Igbo invest a huge amount of money in the Nortth which was estimated as 41 trillion so also Hausa/Fulani invest heavily in The South as they import food stuffs and cattle from the North, moreover keeping Nigeria one is a task to everybody inrespective of tribe and religion why because those that are calling the disintegrate of the country. They are just doing it to protect their personal Gains.
Therefore, in other to strengthen the Democratic Government for ensuring dividends of Democracy, there must be a shun to the politics of ethinicity and to stand by the Party manifestors and the party Ideology, If each political party design a sound Manifestors and also maintaining the party Ideology that would indeed enhance the Democratic Government as well as political stability.
Ahmed Ghani Hassan
7/7/2021
ahmedghanihassan@gmail.com
