A Comparative Analysis of Party Politics and Democratisation in Nigeria and Ghana, 1999-2022

Ogbodo Stephen O.

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)

ABSTRACT

This study compared party politics and democratisation in Nigeria and Ghana, between 1999 and 202s. Utilizing the Marxist theory of the state, longitudinal research design, qualitative method of data collection, and qualitative method of data analysis, the study investigated how the structure of the election management body impacts on intra party democracy, as well as how the ideological base of political parties’ impact on the rule of law in Nigeria and Ghana. The study found a weak structure of the election management body to account for more abuses of intra-party democracy in Nigeria relative to Ghana. The study equally observes that the weak ideological base of political parties undermines compliance with the rule of law more in Nigeria than in Ghana. It, therefore, argues that the Nigerian state more than the Ghanaian state is characterized by limited institutional autonomy which undermined the orderly transfer of political power by the ruling political party to the opposition political party with implications for democratization. Among others, the study is of the view that the Independent National Electoral Commission be structurally and institutionally repositioned to strengthen party politics in Nigeria like in Ghana.

Keywords: Party Politics, Democratization, Election Management Bodies, Intra-Party Democracy, Rule of Law

CITE AS: Ogbodo Stephen O. (2023). A Comparative Analysis of Party Politics and Democratisation in Nigeria and Ghana, 1999-2022. RESEARCH INVENTION JOURNAL OF CURRENT RESEARCH IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 2(1):13-28.