ABSTRACT
Since his party, NPN, has no outright majority in either House of the National Assembly and has only seven of the nineteen Governors, President Shehu Shagari has constantly to seek co-operation from other parties. Such cooperation, however, he would seek even if the NPN had unassailable majorities, for he is determined to act as the representative of all Nigerians. He is, however, the standard bearer of NPN, which he believes to be the only party with truly nation-wide following – his own presidential vote fell below six figures in only three states, while the most successful of his rivals, Chief Awolowo, polled six figures or more in only seven states. But the NPN, in spite of emerging clearly as the leading party of the five registered by Fedeco, was elected in a poll representing only about a quarter of registered voters. It needs, therefore, for future success, to appeal more to those who did not vote at all in 1979 – and to persuade them to vote – than to supporters of other parties, as well as to mobilise more effectively those ready to support it. The failure of any party to secure a dominant position, and the success of all five in winning one or more states, is good for Nigerian democracy, provided it does not mean stalemate at the centre. As he showed in his success in securing all-party support for a new revenue allocation formula in the National Assembly, Alhaji Sbehu can operate this system.
