OF ETHNICITY IN POLITICAL PARTIES

Power struggle fuels ethnicity and ethnic politics in many African nations, contends FELIX OLADEJI

The composition of the Nigerian state to a large extent has contributed to the degree of underdevelopment and improper integration of WKH GLͿHUHQW HWKQLF JURXSLQJV LQ WKH QDWLRQ 7KLV UHVHQWPHQW LV UHÁHFWHG LQ WKH SROLWLFDO UHODWLRQVKLS among them, it is driven by contempt, rivalry, suspicion, and hatred and lingering fear of domination by the majority groups in the nation. This precarious situation is seen across nations in the African continent. There are bedeviled with incessant ethnic crisis and political violence.

African politics is characterized by strong individuals rather than strong institutions, unsettling political culture, weak political parties with no clear-cut philosophy and ideology, only

GRPLQHHULQJ LQGLYLGXDOV ZLWK VHOÀVK PRWLYHV and intentions to ride on the back of the party for personal gains. It is noted here, that African states are largely colonialist in nature and formation, there are more or less a consuming rather than a producing nation, that is to say, they have moved from a crop producing state to a natural resources exploiter, weak and manipulated institutions largely by the elites. African states are also noted here to be states that have constantly shown movement of political power from pluralism to centralism, having strong individuals wielding so much political power on behalf of the political party instead of the party’s constitution or party itself. It is a prism structure, with strong alliance and loyalty for the man on top. There is no party supremacy and authority, but strong and powerful personality at the centre upon which everything rotates. The same is applicable in the Nigerian political environment, where it is worse because of the tendency of ethnicity, political parties are evolved on the basis of ethnic considerations and D΀OLDWLRQV

7KH &OLͿRUG &RQVWLWXWLRQ RI XVKHUHG LQ WKH ÀUVW HOHFWLRQ LQ FRORQLDO 1LJHULD WKRXJK WKLV period witnessed political parties largely agitative in nature and character for independence. But it was obvious that the agitation and the quest for independence was prominent in a particular part of the country, the west. In fact people in the western part of Nigeria had spearheaded independence through a body called the national youth movement (NYM) which later culminated in the formation of political party (NCNC) led by 6LU +HEHUW 0DFDXOD\ LQ DQG VHYHUDO RWKHU political parties emerged in Nigeria later. The point here therefore, is that people in the northern region of the country seem to be less concerned or more comfortable with the colonial situation, until 1951, when the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) was later formed and would later said that they are not ready for independence until 1960, while the rest of the regions got self-rule in 1958.

Ethnicity and the development of political parties in Nigeria are intertwined and political OHDGHUV XVHG WKLV PHGLXP WR SURSDJDWH VHOÀVK and personal interest rather than common interest. They instigate cultural, religious and sectional sentiment in the name of politics. The origin of ethnicity in Nigeria is traceable to the nation’s colonial experience, particularly the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria in 1914. Ethnicity involves the display of sentiments in bias to a special set of group one belongs to. On the whole, ethnicity has to do with a unique group with distinct and peculiar features which are sources of common ties on which the feeling of sentiment and emotion is being expressed in protest or support of an action taken against or in favor of such a group.

Power struggle had been one of the major causes responsible for the fueling of ethnicity and ethnic politics in the system and in many African nations. The quest for political power had created a higher degree of contestation among the various ethnic groupings in nations across the African continent, particularly in Nigeria. These ethnic extractions are always in perpetual suspicion of one another, fear and constant doubts, thereby creating tension and deep resentment. Power struggle among and within the various ethnic nationalities creates deep hostility, hatred and resentment that will eventually result to violence and war in the system. The implication of this was that Nigerian federalism lacked the requisite foundation for a formidable federal system, WKH UHVXOWDQW HͿHFW RI ZKLFK LV OR\DOW\ WR HWKQLF groups rather than loyalty to the nation. In a circumstance of mutual suspicion and fear of domination, competition for power among ethnic groups becomes unavoidable. And it is on the basis of this fear of domination that formation of political parties in Nigeria DOZD\V UHÁHFWV D VWURQJ GRVH RI HWKQLFLVP Colonialism left behind for Nigeria a nonhegemonic state that further aggravated the crisis of ethnicism in the nation.

Also, resource allocation and control is another major area through which ethnicity and ethnic politics is demonstrated. People RI GLͿHUHQW EDFNJURXQG DQG OLQDJH HQJDJHG in political violence and social crisis in an attempt to allocate, control and manage resources in their locality. This menace became a major challenge toward national unity and peace in certain area of the nation, particularly in the Niger Delta region and other sensitive area across the African continent. Hence, the perception and feeling of neglect and exploitation create agitation and a feeling of insecurity in these areas thereby leading to societal violence and crisis. Resource control and allocation are factor that fuel ethnicity and ethnic politics across the African continent; many political violence and social unrest stem from the frustration and quest to control one’s resources or out of the feeling or the perceived feeling of deprivation and marginalization of resource control and allocation. These feelings of frustration and marginalization are translated into violence. Many of the ethnic violence are triggered by the desire to control resources found in the locality of these ethnic grouping. Nigeria represents a clear example, their claims stem from their assertion that while their community remain underdeveloped, other areas without UHVRXUFHV DUH WKH RQHV EHQHÀWLQJ IURP their own resources. To an extent therefore resource control and allocation has become an instrument of ethnic and political divide in most of the African nations particularly in Nigeria.