National Party of Nigeria (NPN) - SS3 Government Lesson Note

The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was a political party in Nigeria that emerged during the country's transition from military rule to civilian rule in the late 1970s. The party was founded in 1978, with the primary aim of winning power in the upcoming 1979 general elections.

The NPN was largely made up of former members of the ruling military government, as well as conservative politicians from the northern region of Nigeria. It drew its support base from the largely Muslim north of the country, where it was seen as the natural successor to the ruling military government, which had also been dominated by northerners.

The party's ideology was largely centred around maintaining the status quo and preserving the interests of the political and economic elite, rather than introducing radical reforms. This appealed to many in the northern region, who feared that a shift towards more democratic and progressive policies would undermine their traditional power and influence.

In the 1979 general elections, the NPN won a narrow victory, defeating the more progressive and reform-minded Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and the Nigerian People's Party (NPP). The NPN went on to dominate Nigerian politics throughout the 1980s, with its conservative policies and alliances with powerful northern elites allowing it to maintain its grip on power.

However, the party's rule was marred by allegations of corruption and electoral fraud, and its support base began to erode towards the end of the decade. In 1983, the NPN was defeated in a highly controversial general election, which was widely believed to have been rigged in favour of the ruling party.