Themes and Research Perspectives in the Study of Nigeria’s Political Parties and Party System

The paper highlights some of the major findings from past and recent studies of Nigeria’s political parties and party system. The aim is to building a unique set of data on party organization relevant to the understanding of the Nigeria situation. Recent advancement notwithstanding, research into Nigerian political parties and party system is still very inadequate. Nigerian military’s ex­tended rule has stunted the institutional devel­opment of this very important raw material that is very essential to the conduct of democratic politics. Political parties are crucial institutional device not only for representation but for conflict management in a democracy.  They are central to the longevity and vitality of democracy. Their ability to organize within set limit are what determine the extent and contours of accountability in public life, including access to  and use of power, as well as political performance. Special attention was paid to normative as well as empirical models of political parties and party systems. Keywords: Stasiology, political power, accountability, recruitment, leadership, democratic consolidation