The People's Democratic Party And The Study Of Democratization In Nigeria

In the wave of democratization sweeping across Africa,the Abubakar military regime followed the historical trend and the concerns of the Nigerian people and successfully realized the "return of power to the people".Nigeria held the general election in 1999,which ended the long-term military rule and achieved the successful transition to the democratically elected government.The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)was founded in such democratic and domestic environment,won the general election,formed the Fourth Republic of Nigeria,and began its 16 years in power.But PDP lost the 2015 general election,transforming from the ruling party to Nigeria's largest opposition party,and lost again in 2019.This thesis holds the view that the evaluation and study of the PDP should be based on the democratic background and national conditions of Nigeria.This thesis firstly analyzes the background and evolution of the PDP,as well as its political objectives and organizational structure,which reflects its pursuit of democratization in Nigeria.Based on the specific political practice of the PDP,this thesis makes a comprehensive and systematic research and analysis on its positive role in the democratization of Nigeria in the whole process of development,including the period of ruling party and the period of opposition party.During 16 years as the ruling party,the PDP has brought great hope for democratization in Nigeria.When the PDP was in power,Nigeria held four elections and realized the successful transition between the elected governments.The PDP dedicated to protect Nigeria's electoral democracy,do utmost to remove the phenomenon of military interventions,fight against the domestic serious corruption problems,improve the domestic economy,ease regional,ethnic and religious conflicts and ensure the development of Nigerian people.After moving from the ruling party to the opposition,the PDP continues to promote the democratization of Nigeria.The PDP continues to develop itself to become a more competitive opposition and to effectively supervise the ruling party.The PDP's shortcomings are the underlying cause of its successive defeats.Its shortcomings mainly include the fact that the party is controlled by the political "godfather",the lack of internal democracy,and the serious corruption within the party.In order to return to its position as the ruling party,the PDP should summarize its own development experience,recognize its shortcomings,carry out the intra-party reform,observe the intra-party discipline,and improve the intra-party democracy.The study of the Peoples Democratic Party is an entry point for the study of political parties and party politics in Nigeria and even in Africa.The countries from the African continent have their own characteristics,but they also have many in common.The study on the PDP and its role in national democratization can provide a reference for understanding and studying other African political parties.