The practice of multi - party system in West Africa tends to promote

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks what multi-party politics in West Africa tends to promote, so we need the usual effect in practice, not the ideal one.

Step 2: Explain the concept A multi-party system has several political parties competing for power. In theory, it gives voters choice and encourages democracy. In many West African countries, however, parties often form along ethnic, regional, or religious lines. Examples include the NPC (North), AG (West), and NCNC (East) in Nigeria's First Republic, and the NLM and NPP versus CPP in Ghana. When parties are built on these narrow identities, politics tends to divide people instead of uniting them.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Sectionalism and factionalism: Parties built on ethnic or regional bases encourage loyalty to a group or section over the nation. Competing for power also causes splits within parties (factions). This fits.
• B. National integration: This is what a well-run system with broad-based parties is meant to achieve, but it is not what tends to happen in West Africa.
• C. Social discrimination: This is not a direct feature of multi-party systems.
• D. Economic integration: This is related to regional bodies such as ECOWAS, not to party systems.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is A. sectionalism and factionalism.

Exam tip: When a question asks about the "tendency" or "problem" of multi-party systems in Africa, think of ethnic and regional divisions. Words like "sectionalism," "factionalism," "tribalism," and "regionalism" usually point to the answer.