PROGRESSIVE AS A CONCEPT IN NIGERIAN POLITICS As a student of political science, history or law, the word PROGRESSIVE would definitely sound beyond semantic and quid quo pro as it is in Nigeria, to a concept in political fiduciary. We often hear of leaders saying we are progressives, so, so and so are not progressive! One wonders in what context is someone a progressive or a party progressive? Weve had cases of different parties having same constitution and still one of them says its progressive party. How? Because of the acronym or the word progressive in the name? The Encarta Dictionaries define Progressive as an advocate of reform: a supporter or advocate of social, political, or economic reforms. It is upon this meaning that we would premise our analysis. Please pardon my delve into American political history between 1900 and 1920 as it will help to illuminate the ambiguities and the abuse of the term. The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed by former President Theodore Roosevelt, after a split in the Republican Party between him and President William Howard Taft. The party also became known as the Bull Moose Party after journalists quoted Roosevelt saying Im feeling like a bull moose shortly after the new party was formed. Theodore Roosevelt was the founder of the Bull Moose Progressive Party and thus is often associated with the party. Roosevelt left office in 1909. He had selected Taft, his Secretary of War, to succeed him as presidential candidate, and Taft easily won the 1908 presidential election. Roosevelt became disappointed by Tafts increasingly conservative policies. Taft upset Roosevelt when he used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to break up U.S. Steel. During his own presidency, Roosevelt had approved J.P. Morgan-owned U.S. Steel as a good trust. They became openly hostile, and Roosevelt decided to seek the presidency. Roosevelt entered the campaign late, as Taft was already being challenged by populist Senator Robert La Follette of Wisconsin. Roosevelt far outpolled Taft in the primary elections. But as a sitting President, Taft controlled his Republican Partys organizational operations and the mechanism for choosing its presidential nominee, the 1912 Republican National Convention. So, despite Roosevelts open attempt to block Tafts re-nomination, the party re-nominated Taft in June. Before the final vote, Roosevelt had said that he would accept a presidential nomination from a new, honestly elected, convention. He ordered pro-Roosevelt Republican convention delegates to abstain from voting, in rebuke of Tafts steamroller tactics. The next day, Roosevelt supporters met to form a new political party of their own. California governor Hiram Johnson became its chairman, and a new convention was scheduled for August. Publisher Frank A. Munsey, the largest stockholder of U.S. Steel at the time, provided much of the funding for the new organization; George W. Perkins, a director of U.S. Steel and Chairman of the International Harvester Company — one of the trusts Taft had attacked — became its executive secretary. Roosevelts ambitions to reclaim the Presidency suffered two setbacks in the interim. First, not many Republicans joined his new party. Only 5 of the 15 progressive Republican Senators declared support for it. Republican Representatives, governors, committeemen, and the publishers and editors of Republican-leaning newspapers showed comparable reluctance. Many of Roosevelts closest political allies supported Taft, including his son-in-law, Nicholas Longworth (though Roosevelts daughter Alice stuck with her father, causing a permanent chill in her marriage). For men like Longworth, expecting a future of his own in Republican politics, bolting the party would have seemed tantamount to career suicide. However, many independent reformers still signed up. The Progressive convention and platform Despite these obstacles, the August convention opened with great enthusiasm. Over 2,000 delegates attended, including many women. In 1912, neither the other Republican candidate, President W. H. Taft, or the Democrats nominee Woodrow Wilson, endorsed womens suffrage on the national level. The famed suffragette and social worker Jane Addams gave a seconding speech for Roosevelts nomination. However, Roosevelt insisted on excluding African-American Republicans from The South (whom he regarded as a corrupt and ineffective element); but, he did include black delegates from all other parts of the country. Roosevelt further alienated white southern supporters on the eve of the election, by publicly dining with black people at a Rhode Island hotel. Roosevelt was nominated by acclamation, with Johnson as his running mate. The main work of the convention was the platform, which set forth the new partys appeal to the voters. It included a broad range of social and political reforms advocated by progressives. The platforms main theme was reversing the domination of politics by business interests, which allegedly controlled the Republicans and Democrats parties, alike. The platform asserted that: To destroy this invisible Government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day. To that end, the platform called for • Strict limits and disclosure requirements on political campaign contributions • Registration of lobbyists • Recording and publication of Congressional committee proceedings In the social sphere the platform called for • A National Health Service to include all existing government medical agencies. • Social insurance, to provide for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled • Limited injunctions in strikes • A minimum wage law for women • An eight hour workday • A federal securities commission • Farm relief • Workers compensation for work-related injuries • An inheritance tax • A Constitutional amendment to allow a Federal income tax The political reforms proposed included • Womens suffrage • Direct election of Senators • Primary elections for state and federal nominations The platform also urged states to adopt measures for direct democracy, including: • The recall election (citizens may remove an elected official before the end of his term) • The referendum (citizens may decide on a law by popular vote) • The initiative (citizens may propose a law by petition and enact it by popular vote) • Judicial recall (when a court declares a law unconstitutional, the citizens may override that ruling by popular vote) Besides these measures, the platform called for reductions in the tariff, limitations on naval armaments by international agreement and improvements to inland waterways. The biggest controversy at the convention was over the platform section dealing with trusts and monopolies such as Standard Oil. The convention approved a strong trust-busting plank, but Roosevelt had it replaced with language that spoke only of strong National regulation and permanent active [Federal] supervision of major corporations. This retreat shocked reformers like Pinchot, who blamed it on Perkins (a director of U.S. Steel). The result was a deep split in the new party that was never resolved. In general the platform expressed Roosevelts New Nationalism: a strong government to regulate industry, protect the middle and working classes, and carry on great national projects. This New Nationalism was paternalistic in direct contrast to Wilsons individualistic philosophy of New Freedom. Roosevelt also favored a vigorous foreign policy, including strong military power. Though the platform called for limiting naval armaments, it also recommended the construction of two new battleships per year, much to the distress of outright pacifists such as Jane Addam. So, in Americans political history, we hear such statements as Republican progressives referring to Progressive elements in the American Republican Party. However, it is apparent from the foregoing that Progressive is but a political ideology that drives an individual or political party. Roosevelt could be given the credit of the concept of progressive in politics due largely to his philosophy of governance. It was not about unregulated drive for power nor of desperation or crowd, rather is more of belief and ideology. Having define progressive and tracing the history of the term progressive to a reformist American politician and party, let us juxtapose our experience in Nigeria with progressive as a concept as it is obtainable in America vis-a-vis its definition. From my political experience from 1979 to date, I like to say we are yet to experience anything close to progressive party since the demise of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The UNITY PARTY OF NIGERIA ( UPN), since the party was built on the late sages philosophy emphasizing social services, The leader as well as well as the party deserved the tag progressives. Furthermore, the National Conscience Party would have fixed in into this mould but for the untimely death of its leader lowering the tempo of their move. So, if we can have Progressive Republican in the coinage of Americans, can we not have PROGRESSIVE PDP, PROGRESSIVE LABOUR, PROGRESSIVE ACCORD? PROGRESSIVE APGA? Does ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS have preponderance usage and control of the term Progressive? Take it all leave it wherever I am am a PROGRESSIVE!
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:34:17 +0000
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