Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, have expressed reservations over the domination of the political space by the two main parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A cross section of those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday said that the country was not ripe for the system.
Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, the Chairman,Transition Monitoring Group, said that the situation had created a serious threat to multi-party democracy in Nigeria.
Rafsanjani said that the two major political parties -the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have practically hijacked public offices and were also controlling the electoral process through their influence.
He said that the situation had made options for Nigerians very limited to explore other political parties to vie for political offices and get their issues articulated and presented to the general public.
“The two parties use public tax payers money to control other smaller political parties especially because they are the ones who have governors and have control over public sector resources.
” They have been able to use this resources to expand their control of political parties and membership in Nigeria.
“This has alienated many Nigerians who have different views and perspectives on how governance should be and how political parties should be.
“So two party system is a threat because it is limiting public choice, it is a threat because public tax payers money are now used for the wrong thing,” he said.
Rafsanjani alleged that some state governors use their security votes to finance political parties activities making Nigerians to experience limited options and choices to get into political parties and contest elections.
He said that there was a concern by many Nigerians that with the way and manner these two major political parties hijacked the public space, it was going to be difficult for many Nigerians who have different political perspectives to make headway.
He added that having the two political parties alone would not really encourage multi-party democracy in a country like Nigeria.
He said that there was need for other viable political parties with the potential to engage in the electoral contest to showcase themselves and be able to draw membership and followership.
Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, the Executive Director, Partners for Electoral Redorms (PEF), corroborated Rafsanjani’s claim, saying that the dominant parties have hugely benefited from state resources.
Nwagwu said that the parties owed their strength to closeness to public purse, dispensing patronage and cronyism.
“So, what we know in other places of multi party system evolving over time into two dorminant parties isn’t the case for us.
“The unequal opportunities, absence of level playing ground big ego, rise of personality cult and lack of internal democracy even in the emerging parties has suffocated their growth and development,” he said.
Nwagwu said that there was need for citizens, media, civil right groups and development partners to pay more than cursory attention to internal working, training and support the smaller parties.
Mr Samson Itodo, the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, said that Nigeria should drift away from creating a two party state or democracy for three main reasons.
Itodo Nigeria was too large for only two parties to be saddled with responsibility of presenting candidates for political leadership.
He said that a two party system usually restrict public governance to two parties thereby limiting the influx of new ideas into the political spectrum.
He added that the system of exclusive governance could create and undermine inclusion, freedom of association and thought.
” Voting choices are limited to two dominant parties only and democracy only thrives where voters are presented with multiple choice options, a two party system may deepen corruption and polarisation in Nigeria’s political sphere,” he said.
Itodo said that as a nation, Nigerians should promote the culture and uphold the principles of multiple party democracy.
He added that parties should be intentional and deliberate in defining their ideological convictions and values.
He said that beyond defining party ideology, parties should invest in political socialisation and mobilisation of members.
But Mr Odeh Odeh, the Country Direcror, Accountability Lab, offered a different opinion, saying that there was nothing wrong with a two-party system in Nigeria.
Odeh said, however, that the challenge was whether Nigeria was truly on the path to a two party state or not.
‘ However, baring other factors, a two party system will be desirable for the following reasons: One it will be easier for INEC to manage the electoral process with a two party system.
“This will not only reduce issues of litigation associated with omissions on ballot papers but, will also reduce the cost of electoral management by INEC,” he said.
Odeh said that two party system may likely introduce the need for ideological based party system.
He added that this would make it necessary for politicians to stick to parties whose ideologies they believed and citizens would identify them with such ideologies as against the practice that made it easy for politicians to jump ship.
He said that the two party system would make political parties to be truly national parties as opposed to the multi-party system currently being operated where some political parties were not even recognised within a single state.(NAN)
