The Political Culture of Good Governance, by Zubaida Baba Ibrahim
A lot of arguments have emerged over the length of time on the attitudes and beliefs that are capable of promoting and retaining good governance.
In my previous article titled ‘Beyond the Secessionists Agitation in Nigeria’ I explained  how marginalization, ignorance and poverty has fueled  a hate-filled fight for the breakaway of the different regions in Nigeria. Agreeably, issues stated above can all be made right with good governance. So the question is how is that going to be achieved?
Undoubtedly, the average Nigerian acknowledges  the obstacles of ethnic  pluralism  and inter-ethnic conflict in the society. However, rarely it is that a good number of citizens make a link between the partisan politics behavior, the political culture in the country, and  its contribution  to national cohesion  and development, or otherwise.
The peculiarities of a political system known as the political culture in  any society has dire consequences on the strength of leadership. That is to say that there is always a link between the workings of the  political  system  in  assessing whether  good governance is practicable.
Admittedly, in Nigeria a number of wrong partisan politics behavior such as party switching or ‘decamping’ by incumbent office  holder  to  a  ruling  party, taking  payment  from political office holders to fund  the political party, vote buying using money  or materials, amongst others, has persisted overtime and has become  the norm.
It is unfortunate to see some still fall for the empty  promises  of politicians, and feel optimistic towards good governance without thinking first to demand for the restructure of the political culture.
Therefore, before plummeting into how the political culture and partisan behavior is hindering development, let us discuss what good governance is for Nigerians.
The idea of good governance can be said to be notional, due to its meaning different things to different segments of the population. In some societies, ideal governance entails the activities and processes of governing, not necessarily about the outcomes, rather how it wants to be achieved.
This can be good governance in Nigeria if the methods through which the country’s affairs  are managed are coming is led with responsiveness, transparency  and accountability; publicly, financially, administratively.
Again in other societies, for good governance to be achieved the administration must manage public affairs which embraces the basis of  political  authority  and openness to the citizens.
In both of these dynamics, there is an emphasis on accountability, legitimacy and  transparency which  is obviously  absent  in  the present political setting. The  reason  is  a  direct  link  to  the political  culture  adapted  in  Nigeria, namely parochial political culture.
The development of this political culture primarily stems from poor political socialization on the part of the  citizenry in a way that not only are the masses unaware of the structures and functions of the government, such comprehensive awareness does not really exist and even if it does, it is doused in primordial sentiments. This pushes them  to be  engrossed ethnic  and religious enclaves than the affairs  of the central government.
Having said that, it does not only stop there, even the  financially-average  Nigerian  who  is  aware  of  the failures  of  the nation  has  an  ambition  to  get  as much money as possible by giving and taking of money or food items etc. in order to make arrangements for politicians to buy votes from those whose electoral conscience is dry. Some also take monetary and material things as  their  way  of ‘tasting  the  national cake’. Commensurately, this produces a vicious sequela in the sense  that  the  demand  for  accountability  and transparency  is lost.
A kind of ’the one who pays the piper dictates the tune’ thing. Another deteriorative impact on the development of the nation is the inappropriate funding of political parties by the incumbent officeholder. This gives those who fund the party to dominate it, and also, in the process of soliciting for funds some of these officeholders perpetrate fraud and embezzlement to meet up.
Furthermore, to  preserve  governmental  position, cover past atrocities, seek for more power, and reconcile personal  aggrandizement, political  leaders  that occupy key positions engage in party switching without first of all  resigning  from  the  sit they occupy.  Although  the legality  of  party  crossing  is  still  controversial, it  does weaken  Nigeria’s  democratic  strength  due  to  the  fact that it is done in the interest of an opportunistic few.
A  lot  of  us  will  confess  to  how  the  problems  in Nigeria  seem  to  progress  more  than  its  prosperous innovations and that is obviously not the signs of development, and  though  there  is  a  colorful collection of issues, we have not been able to extensively discuss  how  the  country’s  partisan  politics  behavior contributes to the obstacles when in fact it is primarily to bring about wellness and evolutions.
In saner climes, the portrayal of strong nationalistic attitude is apparent in the population and this is actually bred in the bone right from birth. While we can put the bulk of the blame on the political figures, said persons come from the population and when the citizens have a negative perception of public policies, good governance might never be attained.
Though  this  point  can  be disputed but the way we think, comport or react to the nation’s  issues  make  some  of  these  leaders  to  openly resist  solutions.  The  laziest  effort  one  might  show regarding regular incidents like a hen laying an egg is what Nigerians will  display  towards  the  news  of  200 school children being abducted, resident doctors going on strike, slumping  exchange  rate  and  other  mishaps plaguing the country.
In an electoral democracy, the fundamental power the public hold  is  to  question  the  government intermittently, however  when  people  are  careless towards nation shaping, while heavily relying on political leaders for everything the promises of good governance becomes a teeter-totter of half-truths and deceptions.
Zubaida Baba Ibrahim
Staff Writer at PRNigeria Center,
Wuye Abuja.