Political ideologies is simply put, a belief based approach to issues on the economy, social order and governance generally. The conviction of a group leads to that group using such belief based approach to address societal problems. When a group of people with similar political conviction come together, a political party is born. Political ideologies have risen and many have fallen. Some are still on the rise while others have neared a hiatus status.
There is always need for political ideology as it offers direction and purpose. Where ideologies are absent, ascendancy of personalities takes precedence like we have in Nigeria presently with the ruling party. Cross carpeting is a prevalent issue in Nigeria today because our political elite have never looked up the word ideology before nor have they heard of it. There is one purpose that binds them all; ‘power’. When this power is achieved, they use it for every purpose possible especially the deepening of pockets and widening of their foreign account column.
The need for conviction on approach to issues is necessary in order to avoid a problem evident in our national life: “an anyhow approach” and in some cases “as the spirit leads”. Where a man does not think he should use an axe to fell a tree, he will use a hoe and sometimes if he likes a machete. He will eventually get the tree cut after a long time. Even in sports or football there are ideologies. Shows of ideological bankruptcy are not only acceptable in this clime but widely acceptable by our political class and the ignorant masses alike.
A few years ago, if you permit me tell a story, two men, one a captain of a team in Spain and another his friend from the coaching staff would spend long nights in a bar discussing football ideologies. The player favored the method of his former coach who introduced a brand he christened total football with emphasis on possession, creativity and continuous movement. The coaching staff preferred a practical method for each situation but largely favoring a counter attack method which an Italian of yore had branded Catenacio. Both men have become coaches today winning several titles with their respective approaches. Fans of either man will sing his praise and shout all day about his methods and superiority while protagonists of the other will do same. Clashes between the two offer an unusual form of debate where it is this method against the other in the real world and not a textbook or hypothetic discuss.
Our parties must address this issue squarely. There are so many political ideologies to subscribe to in our present multi-party system. A capitalist approach with liberal leanings is available. So is a socialist school of thought with liberal leanings also. A capitalist approach with conservative leaning might also interest our parties and their members who must believe in them and seek to use governmental platform as an opportunity to showcase how sound each of these ideologies are in solving our challenges or like the coaches above, show their teeming fans how their approach makes them either special or wonderful ones. There is also a centrist approach that is neither tilted hence nor thence but seeks the most practical solution to a given situation. Whichever the ideology, we would like to see our parties with clearly cut ideas such that we can always know what to expect from any given party if they win electoral office anywhere in Nigeria.
Yours truly is opposed to this system where parties offer individuals but do not direct them sufficiently and where they do, do so as godfathers. The present system where a candidate is in party A today vying for office and then tomorrow is in party B vying for a similar office is not only an indication of a lack of conviction but a show of flexible conscience. Parties are not football clubs that should sign a star player from Enyimba to Kano Pillars. Parties’ first interest is to control political power to achieve an end and not power for its sake. To achieve this end, a clear cut approach must be articulated and well presented by any who represents the party for a long period of time before that party shifts in thought. Parties must show us before time what it intends to do with the quantum of power from us for someone rightly asserted that “power is nothing without control.” And where parties fail to do just what they are known or stand for, then we have a right to recall them through a referendum as suggested previously in Reasonable Remedies.
There is always need for political ideology as it offers direction and purpose. Where ideologies are absent, ascendancy of personalities takes precedence like we have in Nigeria presently with the ruling party. Cross carpeting is a prevalent issue in Nigeria today because our political elite have never looked up the word ideology before nor have they heard of it. There is one purpose that binds them all; ‘power’. When this power is achieved, they use it for every purpose possible especially the deepening of pockets and widening of their foreign account column.
The need for conviction on approach to issues is necessary in order to avoid a problem evident in our national life: “an anyhow approach” and in some cases “as the spirit leads”. Where a man does not think he should use an axe to fell a tree, he will use a hoe and sometimes if he likes a machete. He will eventually get the tree cut after a long time. Even in sports or football there are ideologies. Shows of ideological bankruptcy are not only acceptable in this clime but widely acceptable by our political class and the ignorant masses alike.
A few years ago, if you permit me tell a story, two men, one a captain of a team in Spain and another his friend from the coaching staff would spend long nights in a bar discussing football ideologies. The player favored the method of his former coach who introduced a brand he christened total football with emphasis on possession, creativity and continuous movement. The coaching staff preferred a practical method for each situation but largely favoring a counter attack method which an Italian of yore had branded Catenacio. Both men have become coaches today winning several titles with their respective approaches. Fans of either man will sing his praise and shout all day about his methods and superiority while protagonists of the other will do same. Clashes between the two offer an unusual form of debate where it is this method against the other in the real world and not a textbook or hypothetic discuss.
Our parties must address this issue squarely. There are so many political ideologies to subscribe to in our present multi-party system. A capitalist approach with liberal leanings is available. So is a socialist school of thought with liberal leanings also. A capitalist approach with conservative leaning might also interest our parties and their members who must believe in them and seek to use governmental platform as an opportunity to showcase how sound each of these ideologies are in solving our challenges or like the coaches above, show their teeming fans how their approach makes them either special or wonderful ones. There is also a centrist approach that is neither tilted hence nor thence but seeks the most practical solution to a given situation. Whichever the ideology, we would like to see our parties with clearly cut ideas such that we can always know what to expect from any given party if they win electoral office anywhere in Nigeria.
Yours truly is opposed to this system where parties offer individuals but do not direct them sufficiently and where they do, do so as godfathers. The present system where a candidate is in party A today vying for office and then tomorrow is in party B vying for a similar office is not only an indication of a lack of conviction but a show of flexible conscience. Parties are not football clubs that should sign a star player from Enyimba to Kano Pillars. Parties’ first interest is to control political power to achieve an end and not power for its sake. To achieve this end, a clear cut approach must be articulated and well presented by any who represents the party for a long period of time before that party shifts in thought. Parties must show us before time what it intends to do with the quantum of power from us for someone rightly asserted that “power is nothing without control.” And where parties fail to do just what they are known or stand for, then we have a right to recall them through a referendum as suggested previously in Reasonable Remedies.
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