POLITICAL PARTIES AND DEMOCRATIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA: INSIGHTS FROM THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Abstract

While the constitutions of most democracies, developing and developed do not statutorily
stipulate the functions and roles of political parties, political parties remain central and
significant to the workings of any democratic polity. The centrality of political parties to
democracy can be located in the critical roles and functions they perform in consolidating
democracy. The extent to which they perform these functions however, particularly in
nascent democracies has been a source of concern. The perception is that political parties
may have not been performing these functions to expectation. This paper examines the role
of political parties in a democracy. The major objectives of this paper are to undertake a
critical evaluation of the nexus between political parties and democracy and review the
roles of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nigeria's nascent democracy. Using secondary
data analysed through the historical qualitative method it was discovered that Nigerian
political are not adequately institutionalised in the country's political system. Thus, they
have not impacted positively on the democratization process. It is however, recommended
among others that there is the need for political parties to imbibe and observe democratic
principles in governance process.