POLITICAL PARTIES IN AFRICAN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES: A STUDY OF NIGERIAN POLITICAL PARTIES (1999-2009)

Abstract

The period 1999-2009 was the 4^th republic Nigeria which witnessed a democratic process with a constitution that provides for unlimited registration of political parties numbering over fifty; thereby giving way to a multi-party system in Nigeria. After such multiple registrations of parties, the people’s Democratic Party became dominant thereby making all others to fizzle away and silenced. The party PDP won all the elections to the extent that those who won in other parties cross carpeted to the PDP for the reason of wining subsequent elections in Nigeria within the period under review moved towards a one party system of government with PDP becoming the dominant party with all its implications and benefits. This paper recommends a two party system arrangement for Nigeria because it will guarantee competition, constructive arguement by the oppositions which is a yardstick for fast running development of democracy in Nigeria. We equally recommended independent candidacy to create choices of candidates to wider Nigerians who may not like the candidates fielded by the two parties.Our theoretical perspective in the power theory as propounded by Morgenthau and other power theorists.