The Secret In Losing or Hijacking Political Party Structure In Nigeria

One playing politics without being cognizant of the importance of Political Party Structure is a political neophyte.

It is unconstitutional to contest election in Nigeria without wearing the toga of a political party. In other words, inasmuch as political parties produce candidates that contest the general elections in the country, having party structure is sine-qua-non. 

You cannot win the general election without first winning the primary election. It’s the political party that organizes primary election. And since different political parties still adopt indirect primaries, it is only the delegates (electorate) that vote.

Those who make up the delegates are the executives of the party who were elected during party congresses while the party bigwigs who occupy top political offices or held such in the past are automatic delegates.

However, what determines who wins the primary election is who has the party structure. This is why every good politician thinking to win primary election does everything possible to have the party structure (the leadership of the party).

In the days of yore when political sagaciousness and consciousness had not gathered momentum, hijacking the party structure was solely anchored on returning your loyalists or political godsons during party congresses as executives of the party.

Those days, when once you put somebody as a party executive, you’re the one to determine whom he or she votes for during primary election. And that is why politicians used to fight dirty to fill in their candidates as party executives.

Today, smart politicians hijack party structure through generosity and plethora spending of cash. They don’t struggle much to fill their candidates but ready to buy over the candidates (party executives) returned or put by other politicians. You will be busy struggling to fill in your loyalists as party executives while these smart ones will be busy packing money that will be used to influence them at the end.

In Ikwo, one top stakeholder insisted on having his loyalists as party executives. One lawmaker tried challenging him but couldn’t. When the congresses were over, the lawmaker hosted the party executives from/in the council area and pocketed them well.

They now receive monthly salary through the instrumentality of the lawmaker, and today, they are all loyal to the lawmaker. That’s power of money in modern day politics. You put one as a party executive and another person comes and gift(s) him a good car with enough cash, his loyalty will change direction immediately. Many politicians have learnt this and it is working out for them.

As a politician with aspiration, you should not take party structure for granted. And stinginess will make you lose the structure you suffered to build. Money politics is becoming more popular, and those who can’t be influenced with/by money are rare.

Party structure speaks volume and it is he who pays the piper, dictates the tune. Therefore, be generous or willing to spend cash to be able to hold the party structure tenaciously without losing it to those who understand and know the game better.

Written By Polycarp Obinna Alegu