Significance of Ideology in Nigerian politics

By Paul Arhewe

The New Year has seen political activities in the country at its crescendo as the April general polls become imminent with few months away. As expected, the world is watching and waiting with keen interest to see if the most populous black nation can break the jinx this time to conduct elections that would be freer and fairer than what were experienced especially since Nigeria retraced its steps to democratic rule since 1999.
Indeed, last week the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in its presidential primaries in Abuja successfully used a well organised convention and peaceful process in selecting incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan for its sole ticket for the exalted seat. For once, Nigerians are showering PDP with encomiums for the transparent manner it organised the poll.

For its previous intolerable acts the party is seen by many Nigerians as a major obstacle to democratic consolidation in the country. These conducts have left bitter taste in the mouths of many ordinary Nigerians. A party that started with a promising profile has long been overtaken by thugs and looters. The presidential primary is indeed a facelift to redeem the already bartered image of the party, and a repeat of this act of even-handedness in the fort coming elections in April will no doubt be a saving grace for its dwindling profile.
Many staunched critics against the Nigerian ruling party were greatly impressed with this particular event last week. The party’s delegates also deserve commendations for the manner they conducted themselves and their votes have shown they disregarded ethnicity and parochial predilections.
However, even as the party’s primary polls were adjudged free and fair some critics have condemned the state-by-state voting pattern adopted; faulting it on the ground that delegates were not really free to secretly make their choice as president Jonathan would know those states that voted for him and those who backed out. While it is true that as state delegates the group votes are easily traceable, just as Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan berated seven Deltan delegates that voted for Atiku, nevertheless this argument is porous; as a few south-south delegates actually voted against Jonathan without their identity revealed. Heaven wouldn’t have fallen if others followed suit.
Interestingly, Jonathan’s landslide against Abubakar Atiku (a Northern consensus candidate) is a pointer that we are approaching an era where electorates won’t danced to the dictates and desires of a few cabals; where their votes would be conducted based on their own sound judgements and not on ethnocentric or fiefdom leanings. The fact that he lost in his own state and in many northern states is a lesson other politicians should be abreast with by now that our electorates are really wiser now. Parties’ primaries with the platform they provide are one good place to sell to the electorates, candidates’ manifestos and how policies would be organised. Atiku’s nemesis, which was not only an outshoot of his hopping front and back from party to party, but as vividly shown from his speech in the last PDP convention he was not wooing the delegates on issue-based argument, but was using the opportunity he had to fight dirty. Lack of ideology was his undoing.
Politicians in matured political climes associate with a party that shares same ideology that they have. As a graduate in Public administration having taken many courses in political science, it is glaring that none of our political parties in the country have a clear patterned ideology; just grey areas. No wonder there are so much rigmarole among our politicians, with consistent defection to other parties not minding their ideological proclivity.
In United Kingdom, for instance, the Conservatives are known to have an ideology that has positive outlook on the state. Hence, it maintains control and order in society with limited intervention by the state in service delivery; though basic ones should be provided. Margaret Thatcher ideology as the leader of the Conservative party in 1975 was dubbed ‘Thatcherism’ because she believed in radical change and was moving the party to a neo-liberal ideological stance. In her time, the party was economically liberal but morally conservative. But in contemporary time, the present Conservative leader, David Cameron, is creating more law and order as he is moving more to the right wing. That is why we are seeing more intervention of border police in cracking down on immigration, and other policies introduced to stop people from claiming many welfare packages when they can work. On the other hand, the UK Labour party since the era of Tony Blair was troubled with ideological strife; combining both social democrat and neo-liberal ideologies. Gordon Brown lost to the Conservatives last year is attributable( not exclusively) to his steering the party more towards neo-liberal stance, similar to the Thatcherism; making his party to lose ideological focus.
To be relevant in contemporary politicking, as event from the conducted parties primaries have shown, politicians in the country should be focused with sound ideological posture; as electorates would be more positioned to vote based on personal fitness and significance of candidates.