Political Ideology and its Deficiency in Nigerian Political Party System- a Philosophical Perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the relevance of ideology to political parties in general, and the implications of lack of it in Nigerian political party system in particular. Ideology serves as a body of guiding political principles, a blue print or road map to political parties in articulation of national or state/ political issues. Politics is about organizing the society, state or nation for the mutual benefits of the citizens in attainment of good living in what is popularly known and referred to as good governance. Organizing the society or state, in turn, entails identifying the state, or national problems and obstacles to their development, and as well as finding solutions to them through debates, persuasions and consensus, where possible and compromises where necessary. While political parties provide platforms for systematic articulation of political issues or problems for better understanding by the electorates; political ideology provides a veritable thematic approach to political issues by sharpening and shaping such issues for easy comprehension of the electorate. A good understanding of the political issues aids electorate in making right decisions in electing eligible and capable citizens for good management of the state or nation. In the final analysis, this paper maintains that the deficiency of ideologically-driven political party system in Nigeria has contributed to the myriad of problems engulfing the nation’s party politics in its democratic experimentation.