Nigeria Political System And The Impacts Of Ethnicity

Nigeria Political System And The Impacts Of Ethnicity

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of The Study

Nigeria has witnessed the transition from the military governance for a relatively long time to a popular system of government since the time 1999, Nigeria failed to resolve its ethnoreligious and political violence which contributed to the decaying of popular governance and public integration. As amulti-ethnic nation, with different religious and artistic background the political system is anticipated to manage with and control both mortal and natural coffers effectively, but in discrepancy this diversity becomes the source of ethno-religious and political violence. The issue of ethno-religious violence has tended to do constantly in Nigeria since during the period of fourth democracy 1999 where organized ethnically grounded conduct with their ethnical and indigenous docket escalate into series of violent conflict( Edlyne 2002). Studying race as a political characteristic bone has to consider the following questions Does the conception of race be regarded as a means for the political actors to depend their political interest? Why also any political struggle in Nigeria is frequently misinterpreted as an ethnical or religious struggle? Is there any empirical findings outline a relationship between the social construction of ethnical individualities and the probability of ethnical violence?

Research attention has been shifted now from technological and scientific development to centre on the politics of religion and the democratization of Nigeria and religion in politics in Nigeria ‟ s new republic. This wordless reality has been discovered that not enough justice has been done to this miracle in recent times, utmost especially on its significance to the multiple conflicts and violence that has gulfed the reality called Nigeria. This vision caused Sulaiman( 2009), to observe still that there have been contending interests amongst the colorful persuasions and ethic ethnicities as to who should run the government of the country, this is presumed on the fact that utmost ethnical ethnicities have developed along religious conglomeration between Christians or Muslims?

It’s as a result of these conflicts of interests amongst the votaries of the colorful religious and ethnical ethnicities and their political leaders that have generated these floods of violence in the country. This is so because different political parties came around with different campaigners and different interests in terms of party manifestoes and regions where the administration should be zoned to. This has redounded in a lot of allegations and counter allegations being made as to which zone should lay claim to the administration and the zone that should not. It’s a known fact that if equity is to be saved, the north in its wholeness shouldn’t indeed seek to hold the administration in the coming 20 times since they’ve produced the first mercenary chairman in 19791983, after which the military took over and since also till the return of the country to mercenary rule in 1999, it has always been the north and nothing differently. Shehu Shagari, Mohammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, Abdulsallam Abubakar, before Olusegun Obasanjo took over in the mercenary governance and handed over to another northerner Umar Musa Yar ‟ Adua and back to Goodluck Jonathan.

The need for political stability in Nigeria can not be overemphasized. Indeed, all parts of the Nigerian society are interested in the political future of the nation. still, this interest is approached from colorful confines. A major interest in the Nigerian polity is the relationship between religion, race and politics. The Nigerian society is religiously and ethnically pluralized and this significantly influences political opinions and programs of the nation. On the other hand, there are people who hold the strong opinion that this relationship shouldn’t be stressed and that religion, race and politics should be allowed to operate independently without one snooping with the other. Those who hold this view argued basically from the position that religion mixed politics or race mixed with politics is substantially like to imbibe colorful vices associated with politics. Also that politics may not be duly and dispassionately played if mixed with religion and race.

The use of race and religion in political competition is a common point in the politics of numerous African countries. In countries similar as Kenya, competition between ethnical groups has dominated the political scene since the preface of multiparty politics, and also in Zambia, race has surfaced as an important factor in political contention( Posner 2005; 2007; Bratton and Kimenyi, 2008). In Nigeria, both religious and ethnical competition has been a distinctive point of the country ‟ s political history, and one that has constantly led to violent conflict.

In terms of religion, throughout Nigeria ‟ s independence history both Christian and Muslim institutions have laboriously sought to impact political issues of their concern, and in particular the Muslims have developed narratives of demarcation vis- à- vis the state and the Christian institutions. Skirmishes between Christians and Muslims boosted and came more public from the medial 1980s throughout the 1990s, which raised enterprises about the unborn state of religious relations in the country( Heilman and Kaiser 2002; Mbogoni 2005; Mesaki 2011; Tambila 2006; Liviga and Tumbo- Masabo 2006).

With over four hundred( 400) ethnical groups, belonging to several religious sets, Nigeria since independence has remained amulti-ethnic nation state, which has been scuffling and trying to manage with the problem of race on the one hand, and the problem of ethno-religious conflicts on the other. This is because over the times the marvels of race and religious dogmatism have led to ceaseless rush of ethno-religious conflicts, which have given birth to numerous ethnical regulars like the O’ dua People Congress( OPC); the Bakassi Boys; the Egbesu Boys; the Ijaw Youth Congress( IYC); and the Igbo People Congress( IPC). Others include the Arewa

People ‟ s Congress( APC) the Movement for the fruition of the Sovereign State of Biafra( MASSOB); and the OhanaezeN’digbo( Daily Trust;’20/8/2002!p.; 16). With the emergence of these ethnical regulars and the deep divides between the colorful ethnical groups, religious dogmatism has come more violent and bloody with further ruinous results using the ethnical regulars as the delegates of ethno-religious docket.

Statement Of The Problem

Nigeria ‟ s struggle for republic and good governance has so far been pursued within the federalist sense, though under a perverse practices condition of the consecutive limilary administrations with no exception to the ethno-religious and political heads. utmost notable of similar misutilizations relates to the recent Boko Haram and the recreating lemon attacks in Nigeria. Scholars and political observers have argued that it’s an attempt to put religious testament through terrorism( Bagaji, et al, 2012). Religion has manifested itself as a potent force in the political development of the Nigerian state from time old. More so, it’s veritably delicate to separate the state from religion- voting geste and numerous times ascent to political services is circulated on the base of religious cooperation( Kukah, 1994; Danjibo, 2009; Omotola, 2010). In a religious country like Nigeria, it’s anticipated to be at peace with itself and all those living within its autonomous home. Paradoxically, recent studies have revealed that the part of religion and race in Nigeria is in negative light than its positive donation.

Nigeria remains underdeveloped and always ranked low in indicators similar as health care, poverty reduction, capacity structure, educational standard, severance reduction, water force and sanitation. The reason behind this is as a result of the colorful ethnical and religious politics played and social conflicts caused by our leaders, religious fanatics, greedy politicians and tone- centered individualities( Coleman, 1995). As religious as Nigeria is, the country ‟ s major „ public issue ‟ remains largely an undetermined political, profitable and social extremity. The steady growth and connection of collaborative faithfulness and ethno-religious individualities among colorful ethnical and religious groups in pursuit of contending material and value preferences, and their negative fate effect have characterized utmost of Nigeria ‟ s political, profitable and social underdevelopment, particularly since the 1950s( Usen, 2010). Across the length and breadth of Nigeria, ethnical and religious considerations in political, profitable, social and academic matters can hardly be avoided. Politics is ethnical acquainted; ethnicism is more frequently than not the knowledge of chairpersons, Heads of countries, Ministers, and those on National assignments. This has been one of the most important causes of social conflicts in Nigeria, especially in a situation where this consideration don’t favour the nonage group and some elites in the maturity group. This social conflict in the form of violence performing from destruction of lives and parcels has been perceived in general as a major handicap to the overall political, social and profitable development of the country.

Objects Of The Study

The main ideal of this study is to estimate the impacts of race and Religion on the political processes in Nigeria. The specific objects are;

• To examine the applicability of religious groups on the political processes in Nigeria.

• To estimate if race and religion are abstracting factors to the political processes in Nigeria.

• To determine if race and religion are the introductory causes of political conflicts in Nigeria.

Exploration Questions

To estimate the impacts of race and religion in the politics of Nigeria, this study intends to give answers to the following exploration questions;

• What’s the applicability of religious groups on the political processes in Nigeria?

• race and Religion; are they abstracting factors to the political processes in Nigeria?

• race and Religion; are they the introductory causes of political conflicts in Nigeria?

Exploration Thesis

This study will be grounded on the following hypotheticals;

1. race and Religion have strong impacts on the politics of a nation

2. The influences posed by race and religion on the political processes of a nation aren’t always negative

3. Leadership choices of the members of a country ‟ s population are as a result of the ethnical and religious classes they belong to.

Compass Of The Study

This work will shortly and specifically cover the literal and present perspective of the Nigeria political system and the impacts of race and religion on it. The work will also cover some of the political challenges that have been encountered within the political system of Nigeria over the times.

Limitation Of The Study

The following are the constraints and failings which the experimenter encountered in the course of the study

Time Factor This was the major constraint I encountered was carrying out the exploration in confluence with my other academic engagements.

Cost expenditures were incurred in the course of disinterring applicable data from colorful sources till the completion of this exploration work.

Description Of Terms

Sub-nationalism is the movement of people to exit or pursue independent state hood or indigenous autonomy within amulti-ethnic,multi-religious state. We also relate tosub-nationalism as a movement or rebellion of peoples against the unitary nature of state, corroborated by indigenous rights and contention of power. Sub-nationalism leans to rallying and ethnocentrism for political and profitable advantage of one ethnical group against another.

Ethno-religious conflicts relate to all conflicts which paratroops early individualities of a group in competitive relations with other groups or controversies arising from ethnical and religious differences. similar conflicts are frequently associated with ethnical or religious sentiments.

Association Of The Study

Chapter one is the introductory section which contains Background to the study, statement of

exploration problem, exploration questions, significant of the study, compass and limitation of the study, functional description of terms and plan of the study

Chapter two contains Literature review, abstract frame and theoretical frame

Chapter three contains Research styles, exploration design, area of study, exploration population, system of data collection, Data Analysis and fashion.

Chapter four contains data representation and interpretation of findings.

Chapter five contains the summary and recommendations.