How To Join A Political Party in Nigeria (2024)
As a Nigerian, you are definitely entitled to being a member of any political party of your choice. This fundamental right is guaranteed in section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution. According to Nigerian Law, anyone who wants a position in any political office has to be a member of a political party. So in the course of this article, we would be looking at “how to join a political party in Nigeria”.
Permit me to say that enrolling to become a member of a political party is one of the easiest indulgences ever. For a start, a political party is a group of individuals with very similar views and ideology on how a government should be run.
REVIEW OF NIGERIAN POLITICAL PARTIES
There are 91 registered political parties in Nigeria. This is according to information from the official website of INEC (Independent Electoral Commission ). Amongst all these parties, the most popular is the PDP and the APC parties. In other to have a say in the founding or reviewing of political ideology, you have to be a member of a political party.
A lot of people point fingers from a distance, and sometimes, go as far as criticizing a regime or a politician in office. Truth is, the majority of these politicians have their decision making pivoted round about the ideology and philosophy of their political parties. So to make things happen, you can’t keep pointing fingers all the time, step in a join a political party! It is really not enough to just turn up on the day of election and vote. There is more to patriotism than that.
As a lot of Nigerians see joining a political party as cumbersome, here are simple steps on how to join and become a member of any political party in Nigeria.
STEPS & REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN A POLITICAL PARTY IN NIGERIA (2024)
Here is how to become a member of any political party in Nigeria today:
STEP 1: ENSURE YOU ARE 18 YEARS IN AGE AND ABOVE
The first step is to ensure that you are of age before joining a political party in Nigeria. You have to be at least 18 years and must be a citizen of the country.
STEP 2: SELECT POLITICAL PARTY OF CHOICE
Make a choice of your Nigerian Political party. The list is huge as there over 91 registered parties in Nigeria. So, therefore, take your time to do some homework and find a party that suits your ideology and ethics. Note that there are two very popular parties in Nigeria. We are talking about the APC and the PDP. Don’t allow sentiment to influence your party decision making. Do some research and join a party that suits your personality.
STEP 3: VISIT WARD OR HEADQUARTERS OF POLITICAL PARTY
Now that you have chosen a political party of your choice, you would need to take it a step further. You would need to visit the headquarters of the political parties. On the official website of the afore chosen political party, you would see the location of the local ward of the party. You should see the contacts and addresses of the wards of the party across the country.
STEP 4: FILL FORMS AND REGISTER
Everything that has value on earth has a price. Visit the secretary of your ward, and find out how much it costs to join the political party. Fill whatever form is handed over to you bring alone supporting documents that might be required, and wait until you are registered.
Registration procedures for most political parties might take days or even weeks, so, a little patience might be required.
STEP 5: COLLECT MEMBERSHIP CARD
After your registration, your documents have been signed by the chairman of the ward and also by its secretary; you would receive a membership card.
STEP 6: FULFILL YOUR OBLIGATION TO THE PARTY
Congrats! You are now a fully-fledged member of that Nigerian political party. According to our guide at Nigerian Queries, you can see that this procedure is very simple. Not forgetting, some parties can decide to reject your application. In the case o this eventuality, find a different political party with similar ideology and philosophy that would accept you.
As a member of your political party, there are obligations that you owe to the party. This could vary from party to party, but there are some generic obligations. Some of which include paying dues and attending Ward gatherings.
TIPS ON SUCCEEDING AS A POLITICAL PARTY MEMBER
- Getting involved in ward activities
The least favour you can do your political party is to attend ward meetings. You need to get deeply involved at this stage. Contributing to the party in kind or in cash at least shows a lot about your commitment to the party.
- Get in touch with like-minded believers in the party
This is so important because decision making is usually based on opinion majority. The more like-minded people you can clique with, the more influence you can exert in the party.
- Relating well with party leaders
To be successful in Nigerian politics is about who you know and not what you know. Mingle and relate well with party leaders at your ward level.
- Volunteer to be part of something be it campaigns or other party activities
The success of any political party would always be bent on hard workers. Political parties need hard-working members to thrive successfully.
- Build a good name and character for yourself
There is a popular adage that says that a good name is better than silver. As we are engrossed in a society with so much corruption, a good name still speaks volumes for itself.
In any capacity whatsoever, endeavour to use that opportunity to leave a positive impression of yourself off people’s hearts.
