By NASIR AMINU

Our democracy is only as good as our political parties.

The architects of our constitution were not wrong to hardcode the requirement for anyone seeking an elective office to be a member of a political party and be sponsored by that party. This is one of those pieces of wisdom that confirms Nigeria is standing on the shoulders of giants. We must also be thankful to our founding fathers.

And whenever we worry that our democratic values are declining, we should look to our political parties. It is parties that determine the health of democracy. Parties are the vehicles through which democratic choice is organised. They recruit candidates and form governments. If they are corrupt, tribal, or incoherent, democracy becomes a hollow ritual. Elections will be held, but the choices are poor. Policy suffers. Social contracts get broken. Voices of voters lose value. Leaders show disregard for the rule of law. Political philosophies do not matter; it is more about regional, ethnic and religious identities.

This is not a theory; it is a fact: Nigeria’s democracy is in a state of dysfunction, with its political parties struggling to function effectively. And this is happening just when one thought this was the time to be calm, and order should follow.

As the APC was endorsing Tinubu around the country, accepting defectors from various states, including governors, and mocking the instability of other parties, their own party Chairman tendered his resignation. He reported health reasons, but nobody is buying that cheap explanation. Some say he is involved in the 2027 party ticket racketeering for APC National Assembly members. Whatever the reason, the growing disarray cannot fool anyone.

And Ganduje’s resignation is just one sign of a party that has lost its sense of direction. For now, the APC’s focus seems fixed on securing Tinubu’s re-election, rather than governing. This shift has become a major distraction. State chapters are in confusion, factions have formed, and the national leadership looks uncertain. The refusal to confirm Kashim Shettima as the VP is weakening the North East grip of the party. Likewise, the potential for Kwankwaso’s faction to join the party is destabilising the APC in Kano.

But we will not know much about the ruling party until after its NEC meeting at the end of the month. Until then, Dalori will be tested on how steady he can hold the Ming vase while North Central candidates begin to sniff around his feet.

Earlier in this administration, the headlines focused on the chaos within the PDP. The main opposition party was largely regrouping to prepare for future contests. They were licking their wounds from the split-ups that caused them a third defeat in the Presidential election since 2015. This has not changed.

The media has labelled the party as the villains, which makes their crises newsworthy, but not their successes. The party’s media handlers are also not helping with the way they publicise every internal issue.

PDP believed it had its plans thought out until it approached the INEC office and ran into a legal wall with a persisting internal party crisis. The position of the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, was in contention. This bureaucratic problem now threatens the party’s ability to hold its National Convention in August, where new leadership is expected to emerge. For the convention to proceed, the party’s National Executive Committee must first ratify the date, a step that legally requires a formal invitation to INEC from the sitting National Secretary. Without a consensus on who occupies that position, even convening a preparatory NEC meeting will prove to be difficult.

But the 100th NEC on Monday doused all the tension that was building over the previous few days. The party appears to have moved beyond the drama between National Party Chairman Damagun and some party members. There is optimism that the next NEC will be used to confirm the August 28 convention date, where new leadership will be elected to make the party fit for purpose. Bauchi State Governor claims the party did not create this chaos, but rather it was created for them. National Party Chairman, Damagun, called on the media to stop de-marketing the party. Wabara promised that the PDP would never die. The naysayers will need a new trick.

The political class is also contributing to the dysfunction of identity politics within the parties. Instead of following a coherent agenda, the dominant narrative now is: power must remain in the South. It is a politically convenient slogan for many, but it is unsettling the opposition. It has polarised Nigerian politics, making it look like a regional war, instead of a contest of policy.

But it is the only trick that the incumbent party can use to appeal to the electorate, as they have traded problem-solving for power calculus. Opposition factions have multiplied, and defections are mounting. This fixation on zoning has pushed ideology off the stage. No one is talking about inflation, insecurity, or joblessness. They are too busy counting heads from regions.

The coalition is a faction of other opposition parties that is still seeking a platform. It is a group of individuals who are jumping from one party to another without success. They are trying hard to sideline parties like the PDP, LP, and NNPP, which were formidable in the 2023 elections. Despite its dysfunctional nature, the supporters of these individuals remain blind to its flaws because everyone wants to achieve one goal: to unseat Tinubu’s APC.

But the method is flawed. The coalition needs an existing party, such as the PDP, even if it will not be able to accommodate all individuals. It is politically cheaper to market as a brand. Individual state coalitions have a different goal—to unseat the governor, while the national coalition has a different goal—to unseat Tinubu’s APC.

The coalition and opposition must accept that, despite the APC’s popularity being at its lowest point, we live in unprecedented times where the judiciary and electoral bodies are weaker than ever before. Building a new party with a structure is a massive task, especially if it is going to serve the people effectively.

The individuals leading the coalition discussions are only discussing who should be crowned as the Presidential candidate, forgetting the need to build around other elected positions, such as governors, national and state assembly members. These are the people who can help them campaign to unseat the incumbent. If they are relying on defections after winning the presidency, then it will be hypocritical to accuse the APC of pushing towards a one-party system by attracting defectors.

In all seriousness, the political party leaders should know that our democracy is only as good as our political parties. We cannot keep blaming the APC when the opposition is equally dysfunctional. If this continues, we are heading for a 2027 election defined by electoral dysfunction. That is no way to grow our democracy.