Internal party democracy and party institutionalization in Nigeria: implication for democratic consolidation-1999-2015 (original) (raw)

The study interrogates the interface between internal party democracy, party institutionalization and democratic consolidation in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. It is a conceptual and qualitative study which employed primary and secondary data collection procedures. The data were analysed thematically. The study contends that since Nigeria's return to democratic rule on May 29, 1999, political parties have not been able to contribute meaningfully to democratic consolidation. Using two leading Fourth Republic political parties, the People Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as case studies, the study posits that the inability of the parties to make a positive impact in consolidating the country's democracy is informed by their level of institutionalization which have been undermined by the dearth of internal party democracy. This has manifested in the dysfunctional ways in which they evolve, their inherent lack of unity and focus, involvement in ele...