This July, China marked the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), an occasion that has renewed discussion both within China and internationally about the foundations of one of the world’s longest-governing political parties. From a small group of thirteen founding members in 1921, the CPC has evolved into the political organisation that has overseen China’s transformation into the world’s second-largest economy and a major global power.

China’s political system is fundamentally different from Nigeria’s, and no country’s development model can be copied wholesale. Yet beyond ideological differences, the CPC’s century-long experience offers valuable lessons in party organisation, long-term planning, leadership development and policy continuity. These institutional characteristics have played an important role in maintaining political stability while supporting sustained economic and social development.

For Nigeria, which has maintained uninterrupted democratic rule since 1999, the more relevant question is not whether China’s political system should be replicated, but whether Nigerian political parties can strengthen their own institutional capacity. Political parties are expected to produce capable leaders, formulate coherent policy agendas, maintain organisational discipline and translate campaign promises into measurable improvements in governance. These are universal responsibilities that transcend differences in political systems.

As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, this provides an appropriate opportunity to reflect on how political parties can evolve from election-focused organisations into stronger institutions capable of delivering long-term national development. In this regard, the experience of the CPC offers several practical lessons that deserve careful consideration.

Ideological Deficits and the Lack of Institutionalized Ideology

Across the political spectrum, parties have continuously operated without clear-cut ideologies or identities. Neither the APC, PDP, LP, NNPP nor other minority parties have been able to clearly articulate how it will organise Nigerian society and its proper role in governance. This lack of philosophy has reduced political parties in Nigeria to transactionalism rather than an embodiment of ideas and pragmatism. And because political parties have failed to show leadership and ideology, they have continued to produce candidates and political office holders that have perpetually churn-out public policies that are detrimental to the wellbeing of the citizenry.

A Chronic Crisis of Governance:

The period from 2015 to 2025 has been characterised by systemic state capacity failures and corruption, severe infrastructural deficits, unbridled inflation, abject penury and heightened insecurity. Political parties, particularly the ruling party, have failed to alleviate the socio-economic burdens on citizens, leaving millions of Nigerians multidimensionally poor. This entrenched deficit in public service delivery and accountability have eroded public trust, created breeding grounds for national security challenges such as terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and the activities of unknown gunmen which have continued to fuel widespread economic hardship, unemployment, and inequality across the country.

Lack of Working Party Manifestos

In Nigeria, party manifestos are often non-existent. And whenever they are available, they merely espouse a 4-year document written for campaigns. Most often, they are abandoned after inauguration.

The Lack of Credible Voter Register

As it is today, no political party, including the ruling APC, has been able to present a credible voter register of its registered members. The function of a successful election is a credible Register of Voters. The Register of Voters is the basis for determining who is eligible to vote and who is not on election day. While the existing register of voters used in the 2023 general elections served the purpose to a great extent, it had profound limitations, one of which is the existence of the data of voters who have died. Important to the success of future elections in Nigeria is a Register of Voters that contains essential information on every eligible citizen such as name, age, gender, address, photograph and thumbprints. This will go a long way to curtail electoral fraud, multiple registration, rigging and overvoting by ensuring that only qualified voters vote at the designated polling unit during elections.

Corruption, Godfatherism and Elite Capture

Political parties in Nigeria lack true internal party democracy. Internal party democracy and the strict application of party constitution have been critically eroded by humongous corruption and a pervasive culture of elite capture. Instances abound where political squabbles between godfathers and their godsons have most often grounded governance in some states in the country. Wealthy power-brokers and entrenched political oligarchies dictate outcomes, consistently marginalizing the voices of the electorate in their selfish interest.

In conclusion, it is worthwhile to reiterate that development and economic prosperity is not accidental. The CPC’s 105-year journey as a political party offers valuable lessons for a country like Nigeria that is seeking economic transformation. China’s experience under the CPC remains a crystal reminder that the role of political parties in couching visionary leadership, political stability, good governance, and the unwavering determination to prosper could make a significant difference in building a viable system for Nigerian society. In Nigeria’s last decade, we stabilized democracy, but we have not stabilized development. Our parties win elections but often lose governance. As we approach 2027, the question for APC, PDP, LP and others is simple: Will you remain vehicles for individuals to access power? Or will you become institutions that Nigerians can trust to deliver prosperity?