How to Join a Political Party and List of Political Parties in Nigeria
The Nigeria General Elections are fast approaching and the best thing any Nigerian can do is to join and Identify with a Political Party. Participate actively in the Party activities so you can have access to bringing out the best Political Candidates for all Elective Positions. Because when Credible Candidates have various Party Tickets, they will stand a good chance to be Elected, which will help make Nigeria better.
About Nigeria Political Parties
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) website, there are currently 91 registered political parties in Nigeria.
Every Nigerian, young or old, should join a political party in order to have a say in the formulation of political ideology. Development of policies and programmes and selection of candidates that emerge from the various political parties. It is not enough to simply show up to vote on election day.
If you’re not involved in the activities of political parties, then you’ll be forced to choose between whatever disagreeable candidates they might present at the election. This is particularly true because our political system doesn’t yet allow for independent candidacy. Even if it did, there are still more reasons to be part of an organized political party than to try to go it alone.
The importance of being active in politics should be a no-brainer, yet it’s quite disheartening that many good people would rather remain on the fence. Because of a fear of tarnishing their ‘good’ names. This is a short-sighted and defeatist viewpoint because ultimately your ‘good’ name will be dragged into a collective mire when society degenerates. Because of a scarcity of good men and women at the helm of power. People will ask you where you were when society was going to hell in a handbasket, without a compass or a whistle to raise the alarm
Who Are Politicians
Politicians are people who participate in the political running of a state, they are voted in by the citizens or appointed by their fellow politicians. Either way, their job is to democratically serve the people as a representative in local, state, or federal government.
Basic Skills and Qualifications of a Politician
The most basic skills and qualifications that all politicians must pose are as follows;
1. Tolerance, compassion commitment, and dedication.
2. Excellent communication skills – written, oral, and non-verbal as well as good listening skills
3. Good interpersonal and social skills
4. Good leadership skills
5. Great fundraising and campaigning skills
6. Excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
7. Passion for politics and making changes.
Reasons Why You Should Join a Political Party.
1). According to the 1999 Constitution, you can only be elected into political office if you are a member of a party. This point is reinforced by INEC in a recent public notice.
2). Even if you don’t ever want to run for office, if you are passionate about politics, you should want a seat at the table when decisions are made about who gets to run for office. These decisions are generally made during party primary elections and only party members can vote in such primaries.
3). Under our political system, the government is formed by the party that wins the election, whether at the local, state, or national level. While this is not a hard and fast rule, it is easier to become a federal, state, or local government appointee if you are a member of the party in power.
4). If you believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction, the first place to begin to change this is through the political parties, which in theory formulate the ideology, policies, and programmes that their members will execute if and when they get into power. If you are as intelligent, exposed, and experienced as you believe you are, then you should be able to make your voice heard within the party system.
5). Parties are run with a relatively high level of secrecy. You will always be an outsider if you don’t join a political party. Of course, not everyone is built to be a member of a disciplined and hierarchical organization like a party. But when you’re young, politically aware and passionate about your country, there’s no better place to make your presence felt.
List of Political Parties in Nigeria
- Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD)
- Alliance for Democracy (AD)
- Action Democratic Party (ADP)
- All Democratic Peoples Movement (ADPM)
- All Progressives Congress (APC)
- African Democratic Congress (ADC)
- Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA)
- All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
- All People’s Party (APP)
- African Renaissance Party [ARP]
- Conscience People’s Congress [CPC]
- Communist Party of Nigeria (CPN)
- Citizens Popular Party (CPP)
- Democratic Alternative (DA)
- Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM)
- Fresh Democratic Party (FDP)
- Labour Party [LP]
- Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN)
- National Conscience Party (NCP)
- New Democrats (ND)
- New Generations Party of Nigeria (NGP)
- National Democratic Party (NDP)
- People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
- Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA)
- People Progressive Party (PPP)
- People’s Redemption Party (PRP)
- People’s Salvation Party (PSP)
- (aa) ACTION ALLIANCE
- Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP)
- Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN)
- Social Democratic Party (SDP)
- United Nigeria People’s Party (UNPP)
- United Progressive Party (UPP)
- Mega People Political Party
- Young Progressive Party (YPP)
Admission into Membership of any Political Party in Nigeria
1). Membership of the Party shall be open to all Nigerians who are not below the age of 18 years, and who undertake to abide by the constitution of the party.
2). A register of members shall be kept at the Ward level of the party and the register shall not be removed from the ward secretariat.
3). The membership register maintained at the ward shall be authenticated by being signed by the ward chairman and the ward secretary.
4). Register at his or her Ward of the origin or where he or she ordinarily resides or carries on business; and
5). Pay the prescribed registration and other fees before admission into the party.
6). Application for membership shall be considered by the Ward Executive Committee, which shall have the power to accept or reject any application. Provided that any rejection shall be subject to review by the next higher organ of the party.
7). A membership card shall be issued to a registered member of the party, which shall bear the photograph of the member.
8). The Membership cards shall be produced by the National Headquarters and authenticated by the National Chairman and National Secretary.
Procedures in Joining a Political Party or How To Become a Nigerian Politician
Interested individuals are advised to visit the respective party headquarters at their Wards and seek the attention of the Ward Secretary (Each Local Government Area is subdivided into Wards for political purposes). The individual will fill out a party registration form and provide supporting documents and payment as may be required by the party.
Once registration is judged to be complete, a membership card will be processed and issued to the individual as confirmation. Then, the individual is referred to as a ‘card-carrying member’. Political parties typically hold weekly Ward meetings which members are expected to attend. A simple process, yet, requires increased awareness and widespread documentation.
The least expectation is that each political party manages a functional website, publishing therein its national structure – a breakdown of Zones, States, Local Government Areas, and Wards with contact details for party officials at each level. An individual who seeks to join a political party should be able to pick an internet-enabled mobile phone, browse the website for the party of interest, navigate the national structure down to the Ward closest to him/her, copy details of the responsible party official, make an inquiry call and/or physical visit.
Information should be at the public’s beck and call. So, while the PDP site provides initial information on ‘how to join’, it needs to incorporate information and contact details down to the Ward level. It currently lists PDP State Chairmen with few of their contact numbers but excludes details on LGA and Ward officials.
Additional Procedure to Follow
Moreover, each political party should fully explore and execute the option of online registration for prospective party members In enhancing our growing democracy, information on political processes and requirements for partial or total involvement must become readily available to the average citizen. The ease and speed of accessing reliable information are key success factors to increasing and improving political involvement, especially for Nigerian youth.
Joining a political party is as simple. just look for a party that ideology or programmes suit yours, then ask around in your neighborhood when and what time such party meets the need to start 4rm your zone, then you will graduate to the ward, then local government, then state. That is the procedure on how you can join any political party in Nigeria.
About People’s Democratic Party
Nigerian political party formed in August 1998 by members of many parties and organizations, including G-18 and G-34. The party’s broad political base supports, among other things, economic liberalization, human rights, and more investment in health care and education.
Earlier in 1998, the G-18 and G-34 publicly challenged the military commander at the time, Gen. Sani Abacha’s, efforts to extend his authority. Following Abacha’s death in June 1998, the government stated that democratic elections would be conducted the following year, bringing an end to the military’s 16-year reign. Political parties, including the PDP, were created in preparation for the election. The first party chairman was Alex Ekwueme, a former vice president of the country, and the first party secretary was Jerry Gana. The party attracted a diverse membership of traditional chiefs, academics, and businessmen, and it was especially popular with the army, with some 100 retired senior officers joining, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former military leader (1976-79), who joined the party shortly after its inception. Under his leadership, the PDP soon rose to prominence as the country’s major party.
Obasanjo was elected president in 1999 after the PDP secured a majority of legislative seats. The party retained its parliamentary majority in the 2003 elections, and Obasanjo was re-elected president. The PDP maintained an unofficial strategy of alternating between candidates from the mostly Christian south and the predominantly Muslim north for the presidency. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the governor of the northern state of Katsina at the time, was the party’s candidate in 2007. Goodluck Jonathan, the governor of the southern state of Bayelsa and a Christian, was the vice presidential candidate. Although foreign monitors sharply denounced the election as being plagued by vote irregularities and fraud, Yar’Adua was proclaimed the winner.
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