UNIQUE FRIENDS SCHOOLSFor democracy to thrive in any nation, there are some democratic institutions that enable it go on smoothly. Some of them are as follows:
A. The Electoral Commission.
An electoral commission is charged with the responsibility of conducting and supervising elections in a country. The electoral body responsible for conducting and supervising election in Nigeria is the Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (INEC). This body has been conducting elections in Nigeria since 1999.
Some of its functions:
A. It registers political parties that present candidates for elections.
B. It is responsible for conducting elections in the states of the federation.
C. It divides the country into constituencies.
D. It reviews voters’ register before elections.
E. It gives financial grants to political parties
B. Political Parties.
A political party is an organized group of people with similar political opinion and ideologies working together for the purpose of winning elections into political positions. Some of the notable political parties in Nigeria are: the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). Some of its functions:
A. They promote national unity.
B. They educate the electorates.
C. They promote national stability.
D. They promote interest in politics.
C. Pressure Groups.
A pressure group refers to any group of people with common interest, engaging in activities that will influence government’s policies to their own benefits. Examples of pressure groups in Nigeria are: Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Medical Association(NMA), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). Some of the functions of pressure groups are:
A. They promote and protect the interest of members.
B. They educate their members and the public.
C. They help in promoting economic stability.
D. They make government pay attention to peoples’ need.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PRESSURE GROUPS
A.They are well organized.
B. They are financed through members’ contribution.
C. They exist to protect common interest of members.
D. They rarely recruit members.