Aspects of Grass Roots Politics

The last chapter dealt with some of the facets of regional politics, or, adapting the terminology of the economists, what may be regarded as macro-politics. Here, an attempt will be made to bring out some of the aspects of politics at the local or micro-level. In some respects, we shall be concerned with forms of community power structure. ¹ Though insights into this have already been given in previous chapters, the intention is here to draw together the main issues in order to put these into better perspective. Some repetitiveness may thus be unavoidable. But first, some distinctions are necessary, in particular that between areas with concentrations of heterogeneous ethnic groups and those with a fairly homogeneous population. Homogeneity and its converse heterogeneity are here defined largely in terms of historico-cultural patterns. Thus, while the Hausa-Fulani-Kanuri are regarded as constituting a homogeneous group, the combination of Birom, Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba is regarded as heterogeneous. In such a perspective, the Jos area of Plateau province would be the main area with a heterogeneous mixed population, and all other areas would be largely homogeneous. Jos district in fact has the peculiarity of being the only area in the North where the indigenous inhabitants are more than outnumbered by the non-indigenes, and in the division as a whole, it is the only area where non-indigenes constitute more than half the total population. Table 20 contrasts Jos with some other areas.