A survey recently conducted in Nigeria reveals that the cooperation between the opposition political parties and the ruling party would develop the country.
Prof. Etannabi Alemieka, a board member of CLEEN Foundation, an NGO, which carried out the survey on political and democratic attitude in Nigeria, said this on Monday while briefing journalists.
Alemieka said that majority of Nigerians were of the view that opposition parties should examine, criticise and join the ruling party to develop the country.
“Majority of Nigerians (60 per cent respondents) believe that better cooperation between the opposition political parties and the ruling parties would develop the country.
“They believe that opposition parties should concentrate on cooperating with the government and helping it develop the country.
“Some other Nigerians, about 39 per cent respondents, believe that opposition parties should regularly examine and criticise government policies and actions only,’’ the survey said.
On the number of political party, majority of Nigerians (55 per cent respondents) believe that the presence of more political parties in the country would enhance real choices by the electorates.
A large minority (44 per cent) believe that more political parties in Nigeria would create divisions and confusion, stressing that more parties were unnecessary in the country.
The survey reveals that majority of the citizens (80 per cent respondents) prefer the selection of leaders through open and honest elections, while 20 per cent adopted other methods of choosing leaders.
“It was also found that large minority of citizens (41 per cent) are not very satisfied with the way democracy works in the country and 25 per cent expressed high level of dissatisfaction.
“About 28 per cent said they are fairly satisfied, two per cent has the opinion that the country is not in a democracy, while four per cent of people say they are satisfied,’’ the survey noted.
The Executive Director, the CLEEN Foundation, Mrs Kemi Okenyodo, said that the purpose of survey in Nigeria was to measure popular perspectives on the socio- political, and economic environment.
Okenyodo said that 2,400 respondents from 36 states and Abuja were interviewed in their homes, stressing that the respondents, who were males and females, were 18 years and above.
“The goal is to give the public a voice in policy making processes.
“This would also help provide high-quality public opinion data to policy-makers, policy advocates and civil society organisations, academics, media, donors, investors and ordinary Africans,’’ Okenyodo said.
