The lexicon of consensus candidate and the Nigerian democracy: How healthy is it?

Abstract

This paper discusses the issue of misused and misapplication of the term consensus in the political arena which has over the years caused disaffection, carpet-crossing among party members and the formation of new pre-matured political parties because of harmonizing out members of the same party. This misconstrue language (consensus) has also made political parties field wrong choice candidates which has further resulted to bad governance. The word consensus which ordinarily means common agreement, understanding or mutual cooperation to accepting an issue or something especially in selecting candidate(s), in Nigeria has turned a situation where two or few party chieftains connived (in their own interest) to edge out or manipulate other people in selecting a single person who happens to be their cronies, without the consent of the entire group. The forceful imposition apart from resulting to bad leadership had also cause rancour, intra-party wrangling and disunity, and political malady, which has not been too healthy for our endured democracy. As a review article, this paper, considers the consensus theory, various authors’ views about the concepts of the term was lavishly x-rayed and in the end the paper seeks to suggest that party chieftains should apply the concept properly, by consulting widely before coming out with a choice candidate(s) who will represent the party very well, so that the dividends of democracy will be felt and not be sacrificed on the altar of “puppet-godson” who will be pledging unnecessary pretentious loyalty to his godfather(s) to the detriment of the electorates, if he emerges the general winner at the general poll.