Recently, a political party platform met under the aegis of National Political Summit Group (NPSG) with a common resolution to work towards the realisation of a mega party in Nigeria.
 The essence and objective of a mega party is to eliminate the current proliferation of political parties in Nigeria and possibly have two political party system.
 Presently, Nigeria has 55 registered political parties and about 25 of these political parties are jostling for a mega party.
 Proponents of the mega party argue that the move will provide good governance, economic prosperity and social justice to the downtrodden citizens of Nigeria. Proponents of a mega party in Nigeria include Chief Olu Falae, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Ayo Adebanyo, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Fredrick Fasheun,  Chief Dapo Sarumi and Alhaji Balarabe Musa.
 Others are Dr. Usman Bugaje, national secretary of the Action Congress (AC), Mr. Sule Hammah representing the Buhari Organisation (TBO) and Mujahidine Asari Dokubo among others.
 However, Nigerians may be tempted to ask whether this group of prominent Nigerians have critically evaluated the problems of mega party and why the need to merge these political parties. Does the law regulating the registration of political parties in Nigeria through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) permit such merger?
 The spokesperson of the National Political Summit Group and former Minister of Information, Chief Dapo Sarumi noted that the proposed political platform would not be merger of existing registered political parties, neither would it be an alliance of parties, but entirely a new political party bound with a common ideology of good governance and social justice. According to him, the planned mega party will comprise  leaders and political parties with progressive ideology, working towards a new Nigeria to reflect the wishes of the Nigerian people.
 Former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande who is also the national chairman of one of the registered political parties, Action Party of Nigeria (APN), said the progressives were coming together to form the mega party in Nigeria to give the nation a clear-cut direction to good life and good governance.
 He explained that the mega party had become imperative because the ruling Peoples Democratic Party had allegedy failed to provide credible leadership to Nigerians, stressing that the nation needed a sense of direction to stop the attendant daily suffering of Nigerians.
 However, judging from historical perspectives, the history of mergers and alliances in Nigeria’s political development is always bright with prospects, but devoid of a common strategic objective to achieve the mega party dream.
 In the Second Republic, despite several moves among the then defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) to fuse together into a mega party with a common view to wresting political power from the then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN), such move met a political end.
 Although the parties and their leaders succeeded in evolving a political platform, the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA),  the leaders of the two political parties, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo failed to agree and reach a compromise on who should step down for the other.
 In the end, the plan fell and all retreated to their respective political parties to contest the 1983 presidential elections. The irreconcilable differences  among the United Progressive Grand Alliance paved way for the then ruling NPN to be returned as the winner of the presidential elections.
 In the same vein, the fusion of the All Peoples Party (APP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) which succeeded in fielding Chief Olu Falae as the presidential flagbearer of the APP/AD accord did not achieve the target. The political marriage collapsed immediately after the 1999 presidential election in which Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of PDP won the election.
 Again, the alliance talks between the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Action Congress (AC) did not achieve meaningful result as the two presidential candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) in the 2007 presidential elections did not agree to step down for each other, and the dream of the opposition parties to present one single candidate in the presidential election of 2007 suffered a setback.
 Against this background, Nigerians are doubtful if the proposed mega party will succeed considering the various political parties involved in the merger philosophy and inclinations.
 Unfortunately, some of the advocates of the mega party have pulled out before the fruition of the idea. A crack visibly noticeable within the proponents of the mega party was the declaration by the leadership of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) that it was not in the mega party. The PPA leadership said “the party is not for mega party, we are for electoral alliance”. The party further said “we are supporting any talk which can make the opposition cohesive and strong and not to lose our identity with the merger of political parties”.
 In the same vein, another political party, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) also denied being a party to the mega party’s idea. The CDC’s national chairman, Madu Edozie clearly distanced his party from the formation of the mega party.  Even more is the fact that the Action Congress leadership is divided on the desirability of the mega party.
 There is indication that some strong forces in the camp of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have refused to drop Action Congress for the mega party.
 But, according to an opposition Action Congress (AC) member in Rivers State, Hon. Shadrack Tetenmi-Lebari, the issue of mega party was the best move which would checkmate the excesses of the ruling party, wondering where the interest of the promoters of mega party actually lay.
 Mr Shadrack added that Nigerians were ready to contribute to the mega party formation on the condition that there was transparency on  the part of the mega party proponents.
 However, the mega party may face some hurdles  with the electoral body as the law regulating the registration of political parties does not permit the registration of a mega party. Registered political parties are allowed by law to maintain their individual identity for financial grant from the nation’s electoral body.
 Nigerians are eagerly waiting to see the future of the mega party formation.