Since September 2003, IDEA has been facilitating a series of roundtables for Nigerian political parties. As part of IDEA’s political participation initiative, the roundtable serves as a forum in which discussions can take place on how to strengthen political parties and improve their role as democratic institutions.
The third roundtable, held on 26 February 2004 in Abuja, focused on party preparations for the local council elections scheduled for 27 March 2004. Reports from the parties highlighted a number of serious questions about themselves: the enduring weakness of most parties, lack of resources and the onerous nomination conditions stipulated by the various state electoral commissions. Ten political parties confirmed to IDEA that they would be unable to field candidates in more than a few states. The insistence of the state electoral commissions on charging nomination fees is only part of the reason. The fact is that the parties themselves are still grappling with the challenge of building strong constituencies, achieving internal cohesion and developing effective infrastructure.
The difference in strength between the 27 new parties and the oldest three was not altered by the outcome of the 2003 elections. Among the oldest three parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is dominant, controlling the presidency, both chambers of the National Assembly, and 28 states. It appears that only the PDP is in a position to contest every council seat in all states.
Most of the political parties are candid about the fact that the party system needs time to mature and that there needs to be conscious national investment in the development of parties if political participation is to be substantive, rather than merely a formality. Such investment would include the provision of massive public funding, even if it is of an indirect variety. They argue that the penury of their members and supporters means that they can acquire very little from the grassroots. Some parties claim that the demand for public funding is egalitarian acknowledgement of a fact of political life in Nigeria – incumbent parties and candidates use public resources to satisfy partisan ends.
The roundtable initiative enables political parties to share their perspectives on what measures are required to allow them to fulfil their democratic roles effectively. Hopefully, it will assist them in developing strategies to enhance their participation, to improve democratic functions and to create viable funding options. Discussions have focused on electoral performance, the obstacles that parties face and the prospects for reform before national elections are held in 2007. To date, it has been mostly the smaller and the newer parties that have attended the meetings.
At the February 2004 roundtable, the political parties decided to establish a working group. It will be tasked (assisted by IDEA) with developing a work plan for the roundtable series. The plan should include suggestions for responsive action to address the short-term needs of parties, and activities aimed at environment building to satisfy the longer-term needs of the parties, especially in view of the 2007 elections. The working group, which met on 18 March, will also spearhead the efforts of the parties to develop a suitable funding formula that they can put to the legislature and the public.
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