Nigeria Labour Congress and democratic consolidation in Nigeria: Deconstructing the ideology of the Labour Party in Nigeria

Political parties are built on certain ideologies that drive their manifestos and guide their activities. Lack of precise ideology is a major challenge affecting political parties in Nigeria. In an attempt to have an ideologically driven political party that reflects the ethos of the labour union, the Nigeria Labour Congress created the Labour Party. This study examines the ideology of Labour Party in Nigeria; in connection to the issue of giving a voice to the working class; as well as promoting and defending social democratic principles. The study adopted the qualitative approach; data were sourced from secondary sources while the Elite Theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. The study reveals that Nigeria’s Labour Party is embroiled in ideological inconsistencies such as hijacks of the party activities by some money bags and a lack of internal democracy, which have effectively turned the party into a platform for losers of primary elections who promote the ideologies of their previous political parties, and created a crisis between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Labour Party leadership. The study recommends, the prioritization of social justice, demonetizing of decision-making process in the party, making workers' welfare a major priority, focusing on free education and health care and ensuring strict adherence to the party ideology by all members through the punishment of erring members.