Lagos — One of the features of the still-born Third Republic, whose salutary effects only few have controverted, is the two-party system of that era. The two parties at the time, the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) though contrived, worked like magic.

Their fabricators had dubbed them 'a little to the right and a little to the left'. Sadly, the SDP and the NRC were buried with that defunct republic after the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida plunged the country into political turmoil by inexplicably annulling the presidential election of June 12, 1993.

Today, there is a groundswell of concern among many Nigerians that the country is drifting towards the lane of a one party State. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has been in charge at the federal level since the onset of the current democratic dispensation in 1999 looms large everywhere, virtually without opposition. The party is in control of 28 out of a total 36 state governments in the country. The PDP equally has a commanding majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Since the last general elections in the country in 2007, several top ranking members of the other political parties have switched over to the PDP to further swell the already bogus platform.

When this reality is juxtaposed against the fact that beside the PDP, there are at present no fewer than 49 other political parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), then one feels the extent of the lopsidedness in the party system and polity at large. Of the 49 smaller parties only the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Labour Party (LP), the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), the Action Congress (AC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are in control of state governments. Two or three other parties such as the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) won few seats in the state Houses of Assembly while the rest are essentially brief-case political parties that have no roots. The dominance, albeit controversially, of the nation's political space by the PDP since 1999, no doubt, is causing some concerns not just for the rest political parties in the country but also many well meaning groups and citizens.

It is against this background that the pledge by some politicians and leaders to form what they tagged a 'mega party' is raising ample hope in many quarters. Yet many people cannot be certain about how serious the proponents of mega party are. The latest attempt to dare the PDP through the floating of a massive party actually began a few months ago when a coalition of about twenty five political parties, civil organisations and eminent personalities met in Lagos to work out modalities towards forming a mega political party that would confront the ruling party in subsequent elections.

Since then, the mega party proponents have been strategising on how best to achieve their objective. While the leaders of the ruling PDP are anxious and apprehensive of the move by the opposition elements and are devising ways of scuttling the initiative, the proponents are working on various options to achieve their set goal. Only last week, they commenced the consideration of a number of options on which of the existing political parties they might fuse into an already registered party. The move reportedly followed hints that the INEC was poised to deny the proposed political party registration.

And to prepare against such act and other shenanigans by the commission, the mega party linchpins began weighing an alternative option. It entails adopting the name of any of the existing parties involved in the talks which will transform into the mega party. For now, the Labour Party (LP) was pencilled down as the most neutral and suitable political party to be used as the launch pad for the big party.

Although some of the leaders behind the mega party initiative are still operating behind the scene, some have openly identified with the project include Chief Anthony Enahoro; Alhaji Balarabe Musa; General Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bola Tinubu, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Olu Falae, Prof. Pat Utomi, Hon. Rasheed Shitta-Bey, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Chief Harry Akande, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Dr. Sule Hamma, Dr. Arthur Nwankwo; Lagos lawyer, Chief Femi Falana; Alhaji Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo; Chief Dubem Onyia and a member of House of Representatives, Dr. Usman Bugaje, among others.

Having raised the hope and expectations of the people, it will be costly for these gladiators to dash them. For them to achieve their aim, they must set out to make the new party a truly national platform. The party needs a membership that is cross-cutting. The prime movers should also be able to subdue their petty interests. Luckily, the Labour Party is non-aligned to any ethnic or geo-political area of the country. The advocates should also be cautious to avoid pulling along forces that could undermine their efforts.

The proponents have repeatedly pledged to form a mega union of progressives to pave the way for a new Nigeria which every Nigerian should be proud of. But this should be a time for less rhetoric and more action by the proponents. The AC with all its posturing is still essentially an ethnic based party. The ANPP since 1999 has not been able to win a governorship seat in the Southern part of the country. That gives it a Northern slant. One of the strong points of PDP is that it is a party that cannot be claimed by any section or group. Also, it does not have any single towering personality that lords it over others. Nigeria is a big country. The country is in dire need of a truly national party that will give her citizens the good governance, economic prosperity, social security and wellbeing which they deserve.

The challenge for now is for the opposition leaders to unite under a single formidable political party that can square up effectively against the PDP in subsequent elections. Otherwise, they should resign to fate under an imminent one party (PDP) State in the country.