Research Professor of Intl.Rel & Strategic Studies, Professor Femi Otubanjo NIIA has described Nigerian political parties as mere tools for acquiring power, insisting that they lack democratic substance, ideology and accountability.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, while discussing godfatherism, consensus candidacies and the build-up to the 2027 elections, Otubanjo said the country’s political structure had become deeply dysfunctional, with governors and presidents controlling party structures and determining who emerges as candidates.
“Political parties in Nigeria are instruments for getting power, not instruments for governance.”
He argued that what exists in Nigeria today are political organisations built around personal interests and power retention rather than democratic principles or service delivery.
“There’s no party in Nigeria. It’s not based on ideology or beliefs. It’s just a vehicle for getting power. And that’s why people can jump from one party to the other without even thinking of it, because there’s nothing that separates the party. They’re all birds of the same feather.”
Otubanjo further maintained that internal democracy within Nigerian political parties was largely non-existent, stressing that party primaries and consensus arrangements were often predetermined by powerful political actors.
“Today, there is no party that is democratic in terms of how it is run, how candidates emerge,” he said.
He criticised the growing use of consensus arrangements in party primaries, describing them as a cover for authoritarian decision-making by governors and party leaders.
“Consensus is just a ruse for authoritarian decision-making. The governors make decisions. The president makes it. It’s whoever the president wants that becomes first the chairman of the party.”
Speaking on the influence of governors in party politics, he said. The governors are the centres of parties. Nobody should make the mistake of thinking that governors are not important. Governors are very important. They are the mobilising agents. They control the resources of the state.”
According to Otubanjo, the power wielded by governors explains why many primary elections are merely formalities, regardless of whether parties adopt consensus or direct primaries.
“So if you’re talking about direct primaries, it’s just another waste of time. You’re a waste of money. Because you are just going to be bringing people to come and rob a stamp.”
Otubanjo also linked Nigeria’s political crisis to what he described as systemic corruption. “Everything about politics in Nigeria is about corruption. That is the central issue. The system is already corrupted.”
He also lamented what he termed the conversion of the Senate into a “retirement home” for governors and former public office holders seeking to retain political relevance and immunity. “People become governors, they appropriate the resources of the people and use it to buy additional power to stay in Senate.”
Otubanjo accused members of Nigeria’s political class of enriching themselves through public office while presenting themselves as credible leaders before the electorate. “The corruption in Nigeria is humongous. It is phenomenal. And it is these corrupt people that are selling themselves as saints to us and we are killing ourselves to support one person or the other.”
He warned Nigerians against blind loyalty to politicians, insisting that most political actors would behave similarly if given access to power.
“Don’t fight for any leader. Don’t kill yourself for any Nigerian leader. They are birds of the same feather. They would do the same thing if they had the power.”
Despite his criticism of the political system, he acknowledged that the 2023 general elections showed slight improvements in electoral competitiveness and transparency compared to previous polls. “In that effort, paradoxically, the national elections have become a little bit better. Because BVAS made the 2023 election the best election in Nigerian history.”
He pointed to the defeat of some powerful incumbents during the election as evidence that the electoral process may be gradually improving. “With the president’s party lost the state, in which governors that wanted to come to senate did not make it, in which even the presidential candidate, the president lost his own state, Tinubu lost his Lagos.”
On the future of the country, Otubanjo said meaningful change would require democratic reforms, stronger institutions and sustained civic engagement rather than violence or insurrection.
“We need to improve our democracy. We need to have a shock therapy for our leaders.”
He also lamented the growing desperation among young Nigerians to leave the country due to worsening economic conditions and governance failures. “The primary ambition for every young Nigerian is to leave Nigeria. That is the country we have created,” Otubanjo stated.
Erizia Rubyjeana
