From: Ahmed Ilallah
Democracy is simple, as Abraham Lincoln defined it: “the government of the people, for the people, and by the people.” Anything short of this definition is considered the antithesis of democracy.
Democracy in the Nigerian system is a form of government in which the people exercise power, either directly or indirectly, through representatives elected on the basis of political parties.
Since the return of democracy in 1999, the system has resembled a turmoil item, indicating a dark at the end.
Though, in Nigeria, political parties’ cross-carpeting by politicians has become a part of the system, regardless of whether it is consistent with the provisions of the Nigerian constitution.
A political party is defined as a formal organized group that participates in government with manifestation, structure, hierarchy, and leadership, as well as a political program that differs from others in terms of goals, policies, and strategies with a larger national goal in mind.
Political parties are the machinery of a free and democratic society; they are the drivers of good governance; they are not a forum for power seeking or a means of self-serving.
However, what Nigerians are witnessing from this class of political leaders differs from previous politicians from the NEPU, NCP, and NCNC.
It is difficult to argue that Nigeria is governed by a system that contradicts democratic principles in the name of democracy.
It is also difficult to argue that the politicians who rose to power through the system violated democratic principles, putting the country at risk of a variety of crises, including insecurity, extreme corruption in governance, an unstable economy, and low HCD investment.
Nigerians must reconsider the meaning of political parties and their significance in a successful democratic system if they truly want this democracy to live up to its potential.
alhajilallah@gmail.com
