RESTRUCTURING NIGERIA INTO A ONE-PARTY STATE: ASSESSMENT OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC

Abstract

The rate of pulling opposition political parties into the orbit of the party in control
of the centre by the (ruling party) federal power towards a one-party system has continued to raise
dangerous alarms and unanswered questions relating to Nigeria’s cultural and political diversity
and the future of the country’s multi-party democracy. In our attempt to address this phenomenon,
secondary sources of data were largely used while the descriptive method of data analysis was
adopted. The study anchors on Marxist theory of post-colonial state to postulate that pulling
opposition figures into the orbit of the party in control of the centre by the federal power to
guarantee diminished opposition representation is attributable to the character of Nigeria as a
postcolonial state. The study therefore concludes with recommendation that restructuring the
economy along socialist line (socialist transformation) is the ultimate measure against related
problems of postcolonial state Socialist method would enhance decentralization of power and as
well power distribution among multiple political parties suitable for Nigeria’s pluralistic nature.
Again, two- party system should be alternatively adopted for Nigeria in accordance with the
recommendation of 1988 political Bureau Report to strengthen democratic consolidation and
electoral stability.