Nigeria is a democratic country which means that leaders are determined by citizens’ votes during general elections. So long as you’re up to age and you own a voters card, you can vote in an election even without being an official member of any political party. Nevertheless, so many Nigerians who are keen in supporting just one political party often need to join a political party. Most especially, if you have a political ambition or you’re a prominent individual is your area.
In this article, I’ll be explaining how to join a political party in Nigeria. First of all, let’s go into details on why you might need to join a political party in Nigeria.
Why You Need To Join A Political Party In Nigeria
You need to join a political party if you’re very concerned about the state Nigeria is. Since independence, Nigeria has been a developing nation and by being a member of a political party, you can actually contribute in any little way especially when the party is a ruling party.
When a particular party’s candidate wins an election, whether presidential, governorship, etc, they rule with the ideology and policies set out by their party. If you’re a member, you can be one of the people to come up with these policies which will benefit Nigeria as a whole.
A lot of Nigerians complain about the government not doing well but, complaining won’t stop anything. You have to take action for change to happen. Take for instance, Nigerians youths who believe it’s time for young heads to rule the country. A youth cannot rule Nigeria if they don’t become a registered member of a political party. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new party or any of the existing major parties.
If you don’t belong to a political party, you won’t know the plans a particular party has when they get into power. As a result, whatever candidate you see on the poll on election day, you’ll have no choice but to vote for them. As a member of a political party, it’s very easy for you to be given an appointment whether at federal, state, or local government level. With the right position, you can be able to positively impact Nigeria in any little way you can.
With that, let’s proceed to how to join a political party in Nigeria.
How to join a political party in Nigeria
1. Evaluate Yourself
To join a political party involved in Nigeria, the first step is to evaluate. First of all, you must be up to 18 years before you can join a Nigerian political party. Next, you should know why you want to join. Are you joining the political party because you want to run for a position? Do you have any personal interests as to why you’re joining a political party? What are your values? Whatever your reason is, it should be a good and moral one. As stated earlier, you should use your position as an official member of a Nigerian political party to positively contribute towards the growth of the country.
2. Evaluate The Political Parties in Nigeria
APC and PDP are the two major political parties in Nigeria. However, they are not the only ones. There are so many other political parties in Nigeria that you can join. This is why you have to evaluate the political parties. You need to join a political party that shares the same values and interests as you. For this, you should consider their present and previous state. Over the years, how have they performed? If you choose to join any of the two major political parties in Nigeria, then this question becomes a lot more important as they’ve been the only ruling parties at presidential level since the start of the 4th republic.
3. Make Research On The Political Party
If you’ve picked a particular political party to join, you have to make research on their registration procedures. Different parties have different membership admission requirements. For example, you might need to register at a ward in your hometown or where you’re residing or doing business. Also, political party registration requires payment for purchase of forms. There are also certain documents you’ll need to provide during the registration process. You can know all of these things by conducting research on the political party. This can be easily done online or by asking questions to the right people.
4. Visit The Party Ward/Headquarters
This is where you actually do your registration. After ensuring you meet all requirements and you have all documents needed to join your chosen political party, visit the party ward or headquarters for your registration. At the ward or headquarters, the secretary should be in charge of new admissions. He or she will give you the forms to fill and collect all requirements from you. It’ll be very difficult for you to complete your registration in one day. Some supporting documents requested may take you a couple of days or maybe more than a week to get. Simply ensure that you provide everything.
5. Complete Your Registration
After filling your registration form and submitting all supporting documents, you have to wait for your registration to be completed. The executive committee is in charge and only they can validate your admission. The secretary submits your application to them and they evaluate it. They have every right to accept or reject your membership application for whatever reason. If you’re worthy of joining the political party, your registration documents will be signed and filed in the secretariat. You’ll be issued a membership ID and then, you can enjoy all the privileges that come with being a party member.
Bottom Line
That’s all involved in joining a political party. So if you were keen on how to join a political party in Nigeria, I’m sure you’re informed now. The registration process can be a lot more easier or difficult; it all depends on your submission and the people incharge. Nevertheless, the most important thing is that you join a good political party and for good reasons.