A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTRA-PARTY CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

The study investigated causes of intra-party crisis in South-western Nigeria; and examined the mechanism put in place for managing intra-party crisis. It also evaluated the effect of intra-party crisis management on good governance; and analysed the challenges of intra-party crisis management on good governance in southwestern Nigeria. These were with a view to providing information on the effect of intra-party crisis management on good governance in Southwestern Nigeria. Primary and secondary data were utilized for the study. Primary data was collected through conduct of in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Three states, namely, Osun, Ogun and Ondo, were purposively selected due to the recurring intra-party crisis and factionalisation of political parties since 1999 in the states. Interviews were conducted on 30 individuals from two purposively selected political parties (APC and PDP). The two parties were selected because they were characterised by varying degrees of intra-party crises. The interviewees were State Chairmen, Secretaries and Public Relation Officers (PRO) of the two political parties in the three states, thereby making 18 party executive members. The other 12 were Chairmen and Secretaries of the two political parties’ Peace and Reconciliatory Committees (PRCs). Focus Group Discussions were conducted on leaders of five purposively selected Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The selected CSOs are Kids and Teens Concerns, Knowledge and Care Provider, Life and Peace Development Organisation, Girls to Women Initiative and Global Help Trust Foundation, which were selected because of their interests in good governance and were believed to be conversant with intraparty crisis in the selected states. Secondary data were obtained from government publications, journals, dailies, newspapers, relevant textbooks and the Internet. Data collected were analysed using appropriate content analysis and ZY Index with ‘+’ and ‘++’ signals. The study revealed that the overbearing interference of godfatherism (++) and mismanagement of political parties’ financial resources (++) were major causes of intra-party crisis in Southwestern Nigeria. The study showed that establishment of crisis resolution committees (+) and adherence to party’s constitution (+) were the mechanisms put in place for managing intra-party crisis. It further revealed that ineffectiveness of intra-party crisis management led to proliferation of political parties (++). In addition, it showed that insecurity (++) and misappropriation of public funds (+) were the main challenges facing intra-party crisis management on good governance in South-western Nigeria. The study concluded that intra-party crisis management had negative effect on good governance in Southwestern Nigeria.