The change from one system of government to the other gave rise to the transformation from the military system of government to the Democratic System of Government in Nigeria.
Democratic system of government is characterised by the government which is chosen through elections, that is, free and fair elections. It is seen in the active participation of the citizens in politics and civic life, as well as, in the protection of the fundamental human rights of all the citizens. It is also formed in the principle of rule of law (the laws and procedures apply equally to the citizens).
Therefore, the democratic system of government is the government that is structured, governed and controlled by the people.
In Nigeria we have tribes with different cultures and religions. We have people with diverse opinions / views. These distinct traits results in the formation of political parties with several goals and objectives.
A political party is a group of people who share the same ideas about the way the country should be governed. They work together to introduce new laws, as well as, altering old laws that are not in conformity with their beliefs.
There are more than 24 registered political parties in Nigeria. Some of these parties are listed below.
1. Alliance for Democracy (AD)
2. All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)
3. All Progressive Congress (APC)
4. Labour Party (LP)
5. Progressive People's Alliance (PPA)
6. People's Democratic Party (PDP), etc.
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) have been in power since the Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999.
In the widely observed 1999 election, former military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo was elected on the PDP platform. The occasion that marked the celebration of the return of democracy, popularly referred to as democracy day on 29th May, 1999 sees the swearing in of Olusegun Obasanjo as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He ruled for a period of eight (8) years. He was succeeded in 2007 by Umaru Yar'Adua who died on the 5th of May, 2010.
Following the death of Umaru Yar'Adua, Goodluck Jonathan became the interim president. Jonathan won the 2011 election which was largely accredited as freer and fairer than all the previous elections in Nigeria.
After sixteen (16) years of ruling by the PDP, there was a need to change the calibres of people in government. This is as a result of insecurities and corruption rocking the nation, as well as, the depreciation in the nation's economy.
With the collaborative ideas of top men in Nigeria's politics, merging of some political parties in February 2013 to form the All Progressive Congress (APC) was achieved. The APC is made up of former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and a fraction of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). The APC was formed with the aim to defeat PDP in the 2015 election.
Below are the statistics from the March 28th election that produced the incumbent government.
Total Number of Registered Voters: 67,422,005
Total Number of Accredited Voters: 31,746,490
Total Number of Valid Votes: 28,587,564
Total Number of Rejected Votes: 849,519
Total Number of Votes Cast: 29,432,083
The APC recorded 15,424,921 votes while the PDP grabbed 12,853,162 votes from the total number of valid votes.
The flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner. The acceptance of the election result by the former president from PDP led to a peaceful transition and swearing in on the 29th May, 2015.
To join the ruling party, defection from one party to APC has been the latest update. This is because leaders of this country are power-hungry. They seek for their interest and not the interests of the citizens.
With the sudden emergence of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the ruling party and party for the majority, and the weakening of the party for the minority, that is, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), do you think that the PDP will come out strong to contest in the 2019 election?
Joseph Etim
Joseph Etim (B. Tech) is a blogger, mobile web developer and a tutor with a zeal for positive effects.
Website: Pepetimsblog
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