Partisan Politics in Multi-Ethnic Nigeria: Democracy for National Disintegration

Abstract

Recent literature acknowledges the problem of ethnic pluralism and ethnic conflicts in African societies. Rarely do a good number of writers make a connection between ethnic pluralism, ethnic conflicts and partisan politics and their relationship to national cohesion and development of the nation-state. The existence of myriad ethnic groups differentiated by geography, culture and language, and separated further by divergent religious beliefs –for example, Christianity and Islam - is, in itself, a major dynamic in the question of national integration. - The development of an effective political paradigm or model that is able to galvanise these diverse ethnic and religious communities and make them patriotic, state-wise, more productive than destructive, exhibit mutual love and tolerance, depends on a degree of relevant analysis of prevailing social and political structures and associated social behaviour. Partisan politics, a competitive and divisive democratic model, is not .likely to advance national cohesion or integration, neither is it a pathway to the country’s political advancement and economic prosperity in view of its vicious tendencies. - This paper is not only theoretical in approach, it is also prescriptive; it propounds an inclusive and feasible alternative political structure and process which are underscored by the principles of democratic justice, fairness and equity; a political solution that best reflects the interests of the country’s component ethnic groups and effectively responds to its national questions – for example, how can the various groups (majorities and minorities) be equitably accommodated and guaranteed equal access to power? This new political idea is called Cooperative Collegial Democracy, and it has been developed as a result of the study of Consociational Democracy, a variation of cooperative democracy developed by Arend Lijphart and practised in some states like the Netherlands, and Competitive Democracy (the Western liberal party democracy) and its impact on Nigeria and other multi-ethnic states of Africa.

Keywords:  Cooperative Collegial Democracy, Development, Multi-ethnic, National Integration, Partisan or Competitive Politics,