Political Parties And Public Orientation In Nigeria

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

A political party is an organization which contest election in order to gain the control of government. It is an organized group of people who share similar political opinion, principles, interest and belief with the aim of gaining political power and governing the country. A political party is a form of political association, which seeks to control offices via election.

According to Rose (1999), political party is "an organization concerned with expression of popular preferences and contest the control of the chief policy making offices of government.

The importance of political parties in any polity cannot be over emphasized they provide the platform for recruiting public offices president, government, legislators, they also perform the role of "national integration".

Political party are very essential to democratically organized state, since election is an integral feature of democracy, political party is highly indispensable to the practice of democracy in many parts of the world today. This research will examine political parties and public orientation in Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Problems

Political parties performs silent function in democratic governance. They help in democratic, mobilizing, screening and nominating candidates for election. They provide the machinery for recruitment of political leader to represent general interest.

It is the duty of political parties, to formulate goals the state will pursue if they win. They socialize and educate the electorate on political economic and other vital issue.

Among the vital role performed by political parties, it is paramount for them to ensure the emergence of genuine democracy. Hence, great emphasis must be designed to facilitate the transformation of Nigeria"s political environment from a largely negative one to a one in which the people will be enlightened to be politically conscious and organized into popular formation of the defense of democracy and social justice.

However, the level of public orientation, by political parties in Nigeria is very poor. This functions rarely perform or when performed, it results in enlightening the general public. The importance of public orientation by political parties is not well tapped in Nigeria democracy.

1.3 Objective of the Study

Political parties and public orientation in Nigeria is the central focus of the research. The objectives of the study includes:-

To evaluate the role of political parties in public orientation.

To examine the correlation between public orientation and good governance.

To reveal the attitude of political parties towards public orientation.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The main significance of this, work is that it will shed more light to the decision of the policy maker which will theoretically improve their knowledge on the act of making, policies relating to political system in Nigeria. It will also enhance the academic syllabus of students under citizenship education.

However, it will also motivate the general public on the political interest which will reduce the rate of political apathy in the political activities of the country.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This research is carried out to discuss the political party and public orientation in Nigeria, with special focus on the People Democracy Party, Lagos State field survey in this research will be conducted among the members of the party in the state government.

1.6 Statement of Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1

Hi: That political parties in Nigeria have significant roles to play in public orientation.

Ho: That political parties in Nigeria have no significant role to play in public orientation.

Hypothesis 2

Hi: There is correlation between public orientation and good governance.

Ho: There is no correlation between public orientation and good governance.

Hypothesis 3

Hi: Political parties in Nigeria have positive attitude towards public orientation.

Ho: Political parties in Nigeria have negative attitude towards public orientation.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

It is envisaged that the research might be confronted with some hindrance in the course of gathering data useful for the purpose of this study.

Such problem may include time and financial constraints, and official secrecy which could aid good information from the case study.

1.8 Definition of Operation Terms

Political Party:

Is an organized group of citizens, who act together as a unit, having distinctive aims and objectives, involving political question in the state and by acting together and seeking the obtain control of government.

Political Education:

Can be defined as a process of mental and psychological liberation and the sensitization of the citizens with a view to increasing political awareness enouncing meaningful participation of the political process of a nation.

Party System:

The conduct of government based on the number of political parties within a system.

Government:

Government as an institution of the state may be defined as an agency or a machinery through which the will of the state in formulated, expressed or attained. Also government as a process or art of governing may be defined as a body vested with the power and authority for maintaining security, peace and stability by making and enforcing conventional and fundamental laws in a given state or society.

Election:

It can be defined as the democratic means by which people choose their representative or rulers. Also, election allows the people to choose between or more alternatives, it also allows the people to declare their support for one thing or the other.

An election is a form of procedure recognized by the rulers of an organization or society, whereby all or some of the member of the organization or society choose a smaller number of person to hold office of authority in the organization election is therefore a recognized procedure in every democratic society.

1.9 Historical Background of the Organization

Decree no 33 of August 11, 1998 gives the power to register political parties to INEC. On December 14, 1998, the chairman of the INEC announced at a press conference, the outcome of the financial registration of political parties.
The people"s Democratic Party, All Nigeria People"s Party and Alliance for democratic was registered having met the necessary requirement and conditions set out by the decree. The National Headquarters of the People"s Democratic Party is located at Kladate Plaza, Michael Okpata way, Zone 5, Wuse Abuja.

PDP Motto: Justice, Unity and Progress

PDP Slogan: Power to the people

PDP Mission: To Building a Modern Democratic State founded on Justice, Equity and fair play.

Realizing the need to:

Make fundamental break with past mistakes in order to realize the optimum potential of the country.

Build a qualitatively better society based on the principles of democracy, human rights and social justice under the rule of law.

PDP is committed to:-

Restructuring Nigeria in the spirit of true federalism and responsible tiers of government, so as to achieve a just and equitable society.

Resolving such fundamental issues as proper devolution of power between the three tiers of government.

PDP is as follows:-

1. The indivisibility of the Nigeria Polity:-

We affirm our belief in the unity of Nigeria under the federal system of government we shall therefore continuously promote political tolerance, accommodation and compromise, religious harmony as well as inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic accommodation and cooperation.

The party shall also promote geo-political balancing as a fundamental principle of power sharing in the country in line with the power rotation in our polity at all levels.

2. Supremacy of the constitution:-

PDP, affirm to belief in the supremacy of the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria, and the sovereignty of the Nigeria nation and its people. We hereby affirm our commitment to strict observance and enforcement of the provisions. As a political party, we shall conform to the spirit and follow the provision of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, and the constitution of the People"s Democratic Party.

Independence of the judiciary and operation of the rule of law in the federal of Nigeria and the sovereignty of the Nigeria nation and its people.

Scarcity of human dignity

Directive Principles

PDP shall remain strongly committed to:-

Democracy and good governance.

Freedom, human right and human dignity

Justice, equity, popular participation and rule of law.

Integrity, transparency and accountability in the conduct of public affairs.

Sustainable development through the creation of private sector led economic development.

5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary of Findings

This research has been conducted to investigate into "political Parties and Public orientation" A case study of People Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State findings from the field survey can be surmised as follows :-

Public Orientation and political education is an indispensable function which all political Parties must perform.

Adequate public Orientation by political Parties is an essential Ingredient of good of governance in any democratic Society.

Attitude of political Parties towards public Orientation and political education is very poor; sadly many of these

Parties mislead people to get involve in electoral fraud and malpractices.

Political education enables citizens to know their rights and duties as citizens of Nigeria.

Political apathy is a common among Nigerians due to poor public Orientation and lack of adequate Political rallies and electioneering campaigns organized by Political parties in Nigeria is always fraught with violence, thuggery, thereby Misleading Nigerian Youths.

Effective political education and public Orientation by public parties are essential to having free and fair election in Nigeria.

Ethnic, religious and Sectional bigotry which often results in violence can be checked by political parties through public Orientation.

Orientation by Political Parties.

Multi-party system has been considered the best for Nigeria democracy while two party systems was condemned.

5.2 Conclusion

The need for public orientation is to bring a but positive change in the qualities of politics changing the range of human needs that infringe upon the political process.

The low level if political consciousness of Nigerians is a major obstacle to effective participation in the affairs of the country. It also provides good grounds for manipulation of the political process.

Among the vital roles performed by political parties public Orientation and political education is essential to raise a politically conscious criticism that will serve as effective deterrent to bad government in the country. Public education and political education is paramount in that, it corrects political apathy, prevent electoral fraud.

It prevents bad government and allows the people to know their rights and duties. However, the level of public Orientation by political parties in Nigeria has been rated poor. In most cases, political Party turn around to mislead Nigerians, especially youths to get involved in all sorts of electoral fraud that endanger democratic governance.

5.3 Recommendation

Based on the findings from the field survey, the researcher hereby recommends the following to improve Public

Orientation and Political education by political Parties. political Parties should be formed with strong ideology aimed at solving Nigeria"s democracy problem especially reposing democratic power back to the electorate, not public office holders.

Thugery and hooliganism should be out rightly chided law enforcement agencies during political rallies and electioneering campaigns.

Citizenship education should be included in academic syllabus possibly right from primary education to tertiary education regardless of the courses of study.

Lastly, the mass media is also a good channel which can be optimally used by political parties for public Orientation and enlightenment Programmes.

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