AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF NIGERIAN POLITICAL INSTITUTION SINCE INDEPENDENCE

The central role of political parties in building consolidated democracies is now widely accepted. Policy makers and democracy promotion organizations often display a strong normative bias in favour of cohesive, organizationally developed political parties. Political parties form the cornerstone of a democratic society and serve a function unlike any other institution in a democracy. Parties aggregate and represent social interests and provide a structure for political participation. They train political leaders who will assume a role in governing society. In addition, parties contest and win elections to seek a measure of control of government institutions. By doing so, they serve as a unifying platform that tends to bring about nation building. This article attempts to objectively assess the performance of the Nigerian political parties within the context of nation building and development.