Former Head of Political Science Department, University of Ilorin, Prof. Hassan Salihu in this interview with Peter Moses speaks on the registration of All Progressive Congress (APC) and its implication on the nation's political processes. Excerpt:

Few days ago INEC announced the registration of APC; as a political scientist, what is your view about the development?

At the level of theory, the more the parties, the better. I'm one of those who believe we need not restrain the number of parties; we should allow parties to compete. And any of them that can float would remain and any of them that cannot float can go under. To that extent, there is nothing wrong in registering APC. At least, it's going to add beauty, glamour and spices to Nigerian political processes. To that extent, I'm in support of it. Indeed the PDP itself is in support of the birth of the party. So, that's to tell you that there is no disagreement in terms of why the party should be formed. But where people are having some fear has to do with what will be the overall impact of the new party on the Nigeria political process against the background that we do have so many challenges facing the nation, which unlike politicians, I would not want to blame all the challenges on the ruling party. I think those challenges are what all Nigerians should consider.

The most appropriate question to ask is that what is the APC bringing to the table? Is it going to be qualitative difference from other political parties, about 25 of them, in existence before its birth? Or it's going to continue politics as usual?

I think this is the fundamental question people need to interrogate. Yes, we know the persons behind the formation of the APC but they have not been too forth coming in terms of concrete proposal on how to address major challenges facing the nation. Now that the registration hurdle has been crossed, may be you give them some little time to come out and offer us something reversely different from what we are used to. It is at that point we will say we have had a new party. But until they do that we will say APC is one of the political parties in Nigeria.
If you have been observing the politics of the Fourth Republic, we discover that the political scientists are worried that the role that political parties should play in the democracy are unfortunately not being played by Nigerian political parties. They are not transmitting any image different from being vehicles for assuming power in Nigeria and that should not be a role of political parties. Political parties are expected to set an agenda, to come out with an ideology that will qualitatively show the differences between one party and the other. But for now we don't seem to have qualitative differences in terms of the political parties, rather they are just all aspiring to assume power. Yes, political parties generally world over; their major concern is to assume power but Nigeria political parties need not to leave in the past. There is gradual movement towards addressing governance issues even before you assume power. But, in most African countries, people who are seeking political offices get to the office before they start to think of what to do, but the trend now is that you should be very clear about the impact you are going to make on various challenges facing your nation before you form a party or put up yourself as a candidate.

By precedence, alliances among parties have not worked, do you see the APC progressing?

I think the first hurdle has been crossed. In the lecture I delivered in 2006 to mark June 12 that was organised by the NUJ Lagos Council, I did mention that if you look at the issue of political alliances in Nigeria and the issue of merger, you discover that before now, the two are not constant figure of Nigeria political processes. Though, attempts have been made but they were not successful. But now with the success of APC, it means that theorists, theoretician must have to go back to the drawing board, but that obviously represent the first leg. The thinking was that given the ambition of the key elements in the merger process, they would not be able to sacrifice or control their ambition, but now they have disappointed us in terms of being able to manage the merger process. But what remains is what do you do in terms of picking your candidates, enforcing the rules and programmes to come up with. Which programme would dominate the other, the ACN's or CPC's? Are there not going to be suspicions among the gladiators in the parties? All these are issues that might crop up. But as a patriotic Nigerian, I think let's give them a chance and give them time to see. Certainly, these represent challenges that would face them.

What do you think is going to be the implication of the new party on the number of parties we have in Nigeria?

There is no going to be any implication. Of course I'm aware that some people like General Babangida are enthusiastic about having two party system in Nigeria. But you cannot force it, you cannot legislate it; the two parties would have to evolve and I don't see how formation of APC will stop people from forming parties. There are other moves to form other parties. As long as the law does not forbid anybody from forming a party, we will continue to see formation of political parties. Who tells anybody that this is going to be the last merger process? There might be another merger process before the 2015 election. In other word, people should not be quick in jumping to conclusion that it's going to reduce the number of parties, I don't see it that way. And I'm an advocate of 'the more the party, the better'. All what INEC needs to do is how to manage ballot papers and boxes. I don't see how 65 or 63 parties that contested last time constituted any threat to Nigeria beyond the ballot management. Again, parties need not to be fast grower at the same time. They need not grow at the same level. Some may make it today and in the next five years, things might change. The party that does not have candidate today may be dominant party tomorrow. Who tells anybody that between now and 2015 some political parties will not have their profile enhanced? In view of the happenings in some of the political parties, how are you sure that some politicians would not migrate to a less vibrant party and turn it into a more dominant party in future. When you are dealing with human beings nothing should be considered settled.

That means you did not support de-registration of political parties by INEC in the first place?

I don't support it. I don't support de-registration because the aspect of the law quoted by INEC was not the only aspect of law that the parties have violated in the political process. So, if you are about law it's supposed to be whole and not selective application. In democracy, like I said before, we should have varieties. If a politician is not too comfortable with a particular party, he might go to another one. Look at Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, he migrated from PDP to Labour Party. Look at Okorocha, he migrated from PDP to APGA and now APC. I think there should be free movement.

Rival APC has a case in court over the acronym war of APC, perhaps it will win in court; what do you think will be INEC's position?

Giving the kind of judgments that are coming from the court these days, no one can predict the outcome of a judiciary process. This is a possibility and I think INEC should be prepared to face that scenario when it comes.

Do you see APC as a threat to PDP?

Any duly registered party is a threat to another party.

Why?
Labour Party had no seat before and it captured Ondo State and it's planning to capture some other states. In that context, Labour Party is a threat to PDP. In Anambra, PDP used to win election there, but with the formation of APGA and coming of Obi, it represents a threat to PDP in Anambra state. ACN started with one state and now it has six states. So, now PDP is a threat to ACN in South-West, I don't know whether my argument is understood.