Congress for National Consensus

Congress for National Consensus
AbbreviationCNC
Founded1996
Registered30 September 1996
DissolvedJuly 1998
HeadquartersNigeria

The Congress for National Consensus (CNC) was a Nigerian political party.[1] It was one of five parties registered by the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) in September 1996 under the transition programme of the military government of General Sani Abacha, and was dissolved in July 1998.[2][1]

History

Following the lifting of the ban on political activity, 16 political associations submitted completed registration applications to NECON in 1996.[3] On 30 September 1996 the commission registered five of them: the CNC, the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN), the National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN) and the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM).[1][3]

The registrations attracted criticism at the time. Commentators described the five as government-aligned formations, and the politician Bola Ige characterised them collectively as the five fingers of a leprous hand.[4][5]

Activities

The CNC contested the state assembly elections of December 1997 and the National Assembly elections of 25 April 1998, both conducted under the Abacha transition programme.[6] The UNCP won the large majority of the seats at the 1998 poll.[7]

Between 6 and 9 April 1998 the registered parties held conventions to select presidential candidates. The CNC, along with the UNCP, DPN and NCPN, adopted Abacha as its candidate; the GDM was the only party to consider alternative nominees.[6] Following the National Assembly elections, the CNC and the three other parties that had not won substantial representation raised objections to the conduct of the poll.[8]

Chief Chris Maduabrochukwu Okolie (1949–2007) served as the party's national publicity secretary before leaving for the UNCP.[8]

Dissolution

Abacha died on 8 June 1998. On 20 July 1998 his successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, announced a new transition programme, cancelled the elections held under the previous programme, and dissolved both NECON and the five registered parties.[1][2] Three new parties - the People's Democratic Party, the All People's Party and the Alliance for Democracy - were registered for the elections that produced the Fourth Republic.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nigeria during the Abacha Years (1993–1998): Chronology of Major Political Events. Institut français de recherche en Afrique. 2001.
  2. 1 2 Amaechi, Ikechukwu (1 April 2026). "Playing the 1998 Abacha power game in 2026". Vanguard. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 Nigeria: Information on the political parties that applied to be recognized by the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NGA26475.E) (Report). Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 10 March 1997.
  4. 1 2 Adisa, Taiwo (19 April 2026). "It is time to return to a two-party system". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "A troubling history of consensus politics". The Cable. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 "The illusion of a single party (4)". The Guardian. Lagos. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  7. ↑ World Report 1999: Nigeria (Report). Human Rights Watch. 1999.
  8. 1 2 "Abacha's long silence". The Nigerian Voice. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
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