The impact of intra party conflict on candidates’ defection in southwestern Nigeria electoral outcome

Abstract

Democracy revolves around participation on the part of the electorates and accountability on the part of the leaders. This synchronization of both electorates and party leaders/members is what separates political parties from all other organizations such as pressure groups, trade unions, professional associations etc. However, intra-party conflict appears to prevent orderliness in any democratic setting, by serving as obstacles to proper and objective nomination of candidates for party primaries. This study investigated the impact of intra party conflict on candidates’ defection in Southwestern Nigerian electoral outcome. The study is anchored on frustration – aggression theory, to explain how intra party conflict could propelled defections and influence electoral outcome. Using content analysis of secondary data obtained from various available literature and documentary evidences, and descriptive analysis of primary data obtained through the administration of questionnaire on purposively selected respondents, this study critically explored the linkage between intra party conflict and electoral outcomes in Nigeria. This study has established that intra party conflicts have effects on candidates’ defection. The mean and standard deviation response indicated that respondents think less of candidates’ selection as a motivation for defection among politicians. It was also discovered that intra party conflict, ideology, candidates’ selection and personal ambition has significant relationship with the electoral outcomes in Southwestern Nigeria. The results of the findings have shown that politicians in Nigeria run the parties as if they were running their private businesses due to internal democracy, imposition of candidates, intra party conflict among others which could pose danger to the sustainability and consolidation of
democracy in Southwestern Nigeria in particular and Nigeria at large. As conflict is inevitable in human organisation and within a political party and people pursue different interests instead of common interest, therefore, political party should try to aggregate the varying interests of its members and articulate a unified front for achieving its objectives. This would limit the destructive effect of intra party conflict in the polity.