POLITICAL MARKETING IN NIGERIA

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION1.1 Background to the StudyFor those who have real experience of politics, it is a service of exciting and interesting adventures. And the ultimate aim of political marketing is the attainment of power. In Nigeria politics is a game of survival of the fittest.Political marketing covers a wide spectrum marketing which is the identification anticipation and satisfaction of customer’s requirement in a profit manner is the peg on which politics revolves; it is purely non-business organization which is not out for the purpose of profit maximization.In Nigeria political marketing has been a controversial subject for the past decades. This has become one of the challenges facing marketing in developing countries. Political marketers believed that Nigeria is not ripe enough for this type of game. In buttressing their argument, they pointed out that in Nigeria, the number of educated persons politically are to infinite and that politics will not be successful.According to such critics marketing philosophy is very sophisticated and two abstract to be appreciated in a developing economy. Also a developing economy being a country of poor technology, production is more of a problem of marketing. From the campaign of 1979, 1983 and 1999, it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that political marketing has woken from deep slumber in Nigeria in 1979 and 1983 election. Promotional mix was used by different political parties to bring their philosophy to grass root level of every community. During the campaign exercise, NPN and UPN, which were in forefront took the advantage of good market segmentation to beat their political contestants to the third fourth and fifth positions. After many years of military rule during which individual freedom democracy and rule of law were severally and fundamentally damaged the challenges facing the nation as it advances into 21st century are the recreation of civil political institution. The reconciliation of our various peoples, the relenting of the spirit of unity and brotherhood in the nation and revitalizations of the powers of the people to build a prosperous industrial democracy.As a matter of fact APC was not left out in marketing her manifestos known to the people of Nigeria. The party pinned herself to five cardinal point programmes and these programmes were:a. Free education at primary schoolb. Qualitative medical care at subsidized ratec. Qualitative education at secondary tertiary leveld. Computerizing of tertiary institution librarye. Agricultural developmentOften, the philosophies of these political parties are just propaganda and paper work in most case contradict the real control measure of the party when in government. Therefore political marketing is the type in which the weight of politics rest.1.2 Statement of Research ProblemPolitical marketing campaign is like diplomacy. As most diplomat said it you don’t have either the facts or law on your self then simply shout what Obasanjo’s political opponents were trying to do when to shout for this contribution to democracy generally and in education particularly were manifested beyond dispute.Political marketing is get tap root in Nigeria some of the politicians have little or no sound education which will bring them to the stage of appreciation and implementing marketing techniques in politics.We have come to an era where political marketing it of paramount important to politicians.In this study, it is necessary to bring out the activities of each of the political party and how with the aid of marketing segmentation, it was able to carry out the activities to the grass root lf the community.We are equally out to figure out the area where these activities were successful and what actually contributed to the failure of some of the political parties in some area.