Political scientists in the country, under the aegis of the Nigeria Political Science Association (NPSA), have called on the federal government to fund political parties as a means of addressing the growing challenges among political gladiators within the nation’s political landscape.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the president of the NPSA, Professor Hassan Salihu, emphasised that the roles played by political parties are critical to the survival and growth of democracy, stressing that moneybags should not be allowed to hijack them.
“In fact, some of us believe that by the time we focus on the political parties and get them to perform well optimally, 70 per cent of Nigeria’s political problems will be solved,” he said.
Professor Salihu, who described political parties as the “engine room of democracy,” explained that the health of political parties directly impacts the quality of the country’s democracy.
“If they are healthy, the democracy will perform well and if they are not, it will affect the democracy too. In the context of Nigeria, no one can gain any political position without being in a political party. This means that we cannot ignore the happenings in the political parties,” he noted.
Highlighting the unhealthy state of many political parties, he lamented that party leaders have been reduced to officers “on posting,” often manipulated by external financiers who dictate the party’s operations.
“So they are supposed to be public institutions. But are they really in Nigeria? No. And that’s why some of us in NPSA are of the opinion that one of the ways to address the issue is that government should fund political parties. Let the government do the funding,” he said.
Explaining the rationale, Salihu stated that if parties receive funding from the government, mechanisms can be put in place to demand accountability, unlike when they rely on external sponsors.
“And that’s why INEC hasn’t been totally successful in auditing the accounts of political parties, because if you don’t fund them, they look elsewhere and moneybags hijack the party and post their personal assistants to be secretaries and chairmen,” he added.
Professor Salihu further clarified that government funding of political parties is not a novel concept, citing examples from other countries where such practices exist.
“Put the money down and put an effective mechanism in place. So, if one party is misbehaving, you discipline the party. What we’re saying is that the role of the party is so critical to the survival of democracy and its growth that we cannot allow moneybags to hijack the parties,” he said.
He argued that with proper structures, parties could remain autonomous despite government funding, stressing that “there are countries who fund political parties, so it’s not new. And it’s been done in Nigeria before.”
When asked about the potential risk of ruling parties hijacking the political structure through funding, Salihu maintained that the solution lies in ensuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is truly independent.
“The issue is that let the people in INEC be truly independent, not by name. Let them apply the law without fear or favour. But in the case where some appointees of INEC are politicians, you’ve already compromised the level of INEC independence. So, I’m saying, let’s build institutions, not individuals. If you violate the law, the law will catch up with you,” he said.
Expressing concern over the current state of smaller political parties, Salihu noted that many of them are funded by dominant parties, thereby losing their autonomy.
“They blow hot today and blow cold tomorrow. That’s why we suggest that all efforts should be geared towards empowering party managers,” he said.
He criticised the practice of appointing unqualified individuals to key party positions as a form of compensation, arguing that party officials should be carefully selected and properly trained.
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“In a situation when someone has lost an election, the way to compensate will be to become the secretary of a particular party. No. What orientation does he have? What training does he have? And we are saying we can’t continue along that line. There should be a programme to train party officials. And the culture of, ‘I’m the owner of the party’ should stop. Let people who know what to do be given the opportunity,” he said.
Commenting on the ongoing coalition movements among politicians, Professor Salihu expressed scepticism about their motivation, suggesting they are driven more by personal ambition and animosity rather than national interest.
“As a political scientist, I would not be able to condemn the effort, because it’s allowed. Anything that will make the voices of the people to be heard, a political scientist should be in support, but I’m worried that I’ve not seen enough of consideration of national interest. Rather, I am seeing too much of hatred for a particular politician,” he said.
He concluded that many coalition efforts are simply vehicles for advancing individual political careers, warning that unless genuine national interests are prioritised, such alliances may not yield meaningful change.
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