Pages: (61-75 )
Abstract
Much has been written on general elections and their effects on peace and security in Nigeria than intra-party succession crisis. This study, which is primarily founded on the intra-party group cooperation theory, however asserted that intra-party crisis portends more challenges to peace and security than the general elections in Nigeria. Historical discourse of internal democracy among Nigerian political parties revealed that intra-party succession crisis predated Nigeria's independence in 1960 and negatively impacted the first, second and aborted thrid republics in Nigeria. It is also affirmed that intra-party succession crisis also has grave implications for peace and security in Nigeria's fourth republic. With the 2020 gubernatorial election in Edo state as its main fulcrum, this study concluded that intra-party nominations of governorship flag-bearers of the main political parties ahead of the general election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), especially the struggle for supremacy between the governor of the State, Godwin Obaseki and the then APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole, which led to the defection of the governor to PDP, adversely impacted on peace and security in the state. The study inter alia recommended party discipline and ideological foundations for Nigerian political parties as the panacea to intra-party succession crisis in Nigeria.
Keywords: Intra-party crisis, nominations, political party, security, succession crisis,