Impact of Political Party Cross Carpeting on Good Governance in Nigeria: A Case Study of 2015 and 2019 General Elections

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page………………………………………………………………………………….…..................................   I

Certification ……………………………………………………………………………….................................    II

Dedication………………………………………………………………………………….................................    III

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………….………..............................    IV

Table of Contents…………………………………………………….………………...............................    V

Abstract……………………………………………………………………..........................…….     VIII

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study ………………………………………………………………................ 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………..............  3

1.3  Research Questions ………………………………………………………………….............  4

1.4 Aim and objectives of the research  ………………………………………………...................................  5

1.5 Significance of the Study…………………………………………………………………............  6

1.6 Scope of the Study…………………………………………………………………………..............  6

1.7 Definition of Terms………………………………………………………….......   7

CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Historical evolution of party cross-carpeting in Nigeria..................      8

2.2 Reasons for party cross carpeting by politician in Nigeria.................................................... 13

2.3 Roles of Political Parties in Deepening Good Governance in Nigeria.……………………………………………………………………..     17

2.4 Political Parties Ideologies and their Connectedness to Good Governance ………………………………………………………................     18

 2.5 The legal/constitution basis of party cross carpeting in Nigeria...19

2.6 Theoretical framework.....................     22

2.6.1 Elite Theory and Political Party Defection .…………………………………………………………................     22

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction.........................................................................      25

3.1 Population of study……………………………………………………………………..    25

3.2 Research Design ………………………………………………………………    26

3.3 Sample and Sample Size....... 26

3.4 Research Instrument ........    27

3.6 Sources of Data .....…………………………………………………………..       27

3.7 Technique of Data Analysis  ……………………………………………………………….....        27

CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

4.1 Introduction………………………………………………………............................     28

4.2 Frequency Table..............28

CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..    39

5.2 Recommendation…………………………………………………………………………   40

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………    41

APPENDICES……………………………………….................................................37

ABSTRACT

From 1922 that Nigerian started experimenting with representative and political party democracy, through the rest of the colonial era, First Republic, Second Republic, Third Republic up till the present Fourth Republic, political party cross carpeting has been a reoccurring issue within the Nigerian polity. However, some has argued that since the advent of the Fourth Republic the incidence of political Party cross carpeting has taken a wild turn, with politicians jumping boat at will and at the slightest provocation, so much so that during this republic, there has been individuals who had at different times belonged to at least five different political parties. This research work focuses on the impacts of such actions on good governance in Nigeria, and due to the geometric rate at which cross carpeting occur in the Fourth Republic most especially during the 2015 and 2019 general election in the country. With quantitative analyses of the primary data (derived through questionnaires administered to 400 respondents in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State) gathered in the course of this research, it was discovered that politicians in Nigeria cross carpet due to a lot of reasons including; lack of intra party democracy, highhandedness of god fathers, weak party system, defective constitution and above all the ambitions and selfish drive of Nigerian politicians. Conclusively, from the above and other findings, some recommendations that could help strengthen our good governance were also made in the work.