How Popular Organisations Are Formed – SS2 Civic Education Lesson Note (Second Term)

Popular organisations are organised groups whose membership cuts across different areas of society and which have clearly defined objectives.

Behavioural objectives

1. Define popular organisations and give examples.
2. Explain the ways in which a political party can be formed.
3. Name the three major types of party system and describe each.
4. State the steps taken to set up a party in Nigeria.
5. State the roles of popular organisations and political parties.

What are popular organisations?

A popular organisation is an organised group with members from many parts of society and a stated aim.

What are the key features of popular organisations?

• Wide membership: members come from different places, ethnic groups, religions and occupations.
• Clear objectives: the group states what it wants to achieve.
• Organised structure: it has leaders, rules and a way of choosing officers.
• Public influence: it tries to shape public opinion and government decisions.

What are examples of popular organisations?

• Political party: seeks to win elections and form government, as in the Labour Party (LP).
• Trade union: protects workers’ interests, as in the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
• Professional association: protects a profession, as in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
• Students’ union: speaks for students on campus and national issues.

What is a political party?

A political party is an association of people with similar political ideas whose main aim is to contest elections and win control of government.

What are the features of a political party?

• Common ideas: members share beliefs about how the country should be run.
• Manifesto: a written statement of what the party will do if it wins.
• Party constitution: rules that guide members and officers.
• Name and symbol: they help voters to identify the party.
• Aim of power: it fields candidates for elections to take control of government.

How are political parties formed?

A political party can be formed through socio-cultural organisations, religious organisations, a government in power, labour organisations or the Constitution.

1. Socio-cultural organisations

• Meaning: a cultural group grows into a political party.
• Action Group (AG): began as the cultural association Egbe Omo Oduduwa.
• Northern People’s Congress (NPC): came from the Northern cultural association Jamiyya Mutanen Arewa.

2. Religious organisations

• Meaning: a party is formed on religious beliefs and teachings.
• Where it is common: countries where one religion is dominant.
• Christian Democratic Union: a party in Germany.
• Muslim League: a party in Pakistan.
• Note for Nigeria: the Constitution does not allow a party to carry a religious or ethnic name.

3. Government in power

• Meaning: a ruling government creates parties for the country.
• Example: General Ibrahim Babangida’s military government formed the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC).
• Result: the two parties contested the 1993 elections.

4. Labour organisations

• Meaning: workers’ groups form a party to promote workers’ interests in government.
• Labour Party (Nigeria): formed with the support of the labour movement.
• Labour Party (United Kingdom): grew out of trade unions.

5. The Constitution

• Party system: the Constitution decides how many parties may exist.
• Conditions: it sets the requirements a party must meet before it is recognised.

What are the types of party system?

There are three major types of party system: the one-party, two-party and multi-party systems.

One-party system

• Meaning: only one party is allowed to rule and contest elections.
• Examples: China and Cuba.
• Weakness: voters have no choice and opposition is not allowed.

Two-party system

• Meaning: two big parties compete, and one of them usually wins.
• Example: United States of America.
• Nigeria: the SDP and NRC formed a two-party arrangement in the early 1990s.
• Strength: voters have a simple choice between two sets of ideas.

Multi-party system

• Meaning: many parties are free to compete for power.
• Example: Nigeria today.
• Strength: voters have a wide choice of parties and ideas.
• Weakness: too many small parties can divide votes and weaken opposition.

How do the party systems compare?

What steps are taken to set up a party in Nigeria?

A party in Nigeria is set up by founders who organise it, then register it with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

1. A group of people with shared ideas come together as founders.
2. They choose a name, symbol and motto.
3. They write a party constitution and a manifesto.
4. They gather members from different parts of the country.
5. They apply to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration.
6. INEC checks that the party meets the legal requirements, then registers it.

What are the roles of popular organisations and political parties?

Popular organisations and political parties help to run a democracy by keeping government answerable to the people.

1. Promote democratic principles: they encourage free elections, rule of law and respect for rights.
2. Ensure accountability: they ask government officials to explain how they use power and public funds.
3. Promote peaceful change of government: power changes hands through elections, not force.
4. Bring about unity: they join people from different groups and interests together.
5. Act as watchdogs: they monitor elected representatives and criticise poor performance.
6. Provide political education: they teach citizens about their rights, duties and government policies.
7. Provide welfare and humanitarian services: they help the needy, for example through relief materials and support for members.

Evaluation

1. What is a popular organisation? Give one example.
2. Name three ways in which a political party can be formed.
3. Which cultural associations gave rise to the Action Group and the Northern People’s Congress?
4. What are the three major types of party system?
5. State four roles of political parties.

Assignment

Explain how a government in power can form political parties, using the SDP and NRC as examples, and state any three roles of political parties.