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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Colonialism and the Emergence of Party Politics in Nigeria |
Authors: | Nwosu, Nereus I. Olaniyi, Johnson O. |
Year: | 1996 |
Periodical: | Transafrican Journal of History (ISSN 0251-0391) |
Volume: | 25 |
Pages: | 20-28 |
Language: | English |
Notes: | biblio. refs. |
Geographic terms: | Nigeria West Africa Great Britain |
Subjects: | colonialism political parties Politics and Government History and Exploration History, Archaeology political science history imperialism |
Abstract: | The increased tempo of nationalist activities in colonial Nigeria forced the British to create a platform that would enable the nationalists to take part in the administration of the country. Thus the 'elective principle' was enshrined in the Clifford Constitution of 1922, paving the way for the formation of political parties. Most political associations and parties were formed on sectional bases and tended to see a particular region as their area of control. The colonial government did nothing to counter this, thereby laying the basis for the problems bedevilling party politics in postcolonial Nigeria, where political parties, rather than acting as a unifying force, have tended to divide the country. Post-independent Nigerian political parties imbibed the colonial tenet of striving to maintain a stronghold in an ethnic region. This created problems during the First Republic and partly contributed to its collapse. The same pattern of concentration of particular political parties in specific regions was evident during the Second Republic, and to an extent, during the still-born Third Republic. Political parties attempted to get support in areas outside their primary ethnic base only in order to satisfy the constitutional requirements of party formation. Bibliogr., sum. |