Defection Politics and Its Implications for Democratic Consolidation: Assessing the Risks of One-Party Dominance in Nigeria
Abstract
With a case study of Nigeria's fourth republic, this paper undertakes a broader examination of the challenge of political defection and its implications for democratic consolidation, particularly the phenomenon of one-party dominance. In Nigeria's political ecosystem today, political defection, a situation whereby politicians hop from one party to another has become the order of the day. Such fragmentation prevents the establishment of a stable party system, undermines faith in democratic institutions, and represents a formidable challenge for the consolidation of democracy. Lack of cohesive ideologies among political parties and their insatiable appetites for self-interest instead of ideals cause this instability. Additionally, the consequence of this one-party monopoly is that political competition is suppressed, opposition parties are weakened, and key accountability mechanisms to a well-functioning democracy are undermined. These risks demand urgent electoral reforms to strengthen internal party democracy, regulate opportunistic defections and produce ideologically based political parties. These steps are also necessary to build a more competitive political space and for the entrenchment of democratic culture in Nigeria.
Keywords
Political defections
democratic consolidation
one-party dominance
Nigeria.
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