Author :
Abstract
This essence of this paper is to answer one of the most debated questions in Nigeria: is Nigeria’s democracy an illusion or a reality? In other to answer this question, it is important to understand that no government can claim to possess all the elements of democracy; however, a government should possess some qualities of democracy to a high degree before it could be termed democratic. By assessment, this paper argues that the Nigerian government does not possess enough of these qualities and thus cannot justifiably claim to be democratic. It possesses more of the qualities of autocratic rule than that of democratic role and thus could be appropriately called authoritarian democracy. Democracy in Nigeria is therefore an illusion and not a reality. The assessment of Nigeria’s system of government as authoritarian democracy is premised on the fact that at least, elections have been taking place for many years now, despite the autocratic tendencies
Keywords
Abstract
This essence of this paper is to answer one of the most debated questions in Nigeria: is Nigeria’s democracy an illusion or a reality? In other to answer this question, it is important to understand that no government can claim to possess all the elements of democracy; however, a government should possess some qualities of democracy to a high degree before it could be termed democratic. By assessment, this paper argues that the Nigerian government does not possess enough of these qualities and thus cannot justifiably claim to be democratic. It possesses more of the qualities of autocratic rule than that of democratic role and thus could be appropriately called authoritarian democracy. Democracy in Nigeria is therefore an illusion and not a reality. The assessment of Nigeria’s system of government as authoritarian democracy is premised on the fact that at least, elections have been taking place for many years now, despite the autocratic tendencies
Keywords
- Anya, C. Democracy and Development in Africa. Ibadan: Spectrum Books, 1996.
- Anya, C. Democracy and Development in Africa. Ibadan: Spectrum Books, 1996.
- Bisong, Peter & Mary Egbai. “The Dilemma of an Average Nigerian in Nigeria”. International Journal of Development Research. Vol. 4. Issue 4. (2014): pp. 837-839.
- Diamond, Larry & Marc Plattner. The Global Resurgence of Democracy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.
- Elijah, John. Man and Knowledge: Issues in Contemporary Philosophy. Uyo: Scholars Press, 1996.
- Elijah, John. Man and the State: Issues in Socio-Political Philosophy. Uyo: Afahaide& Brothers Publishing Co, 2009.
- Human Right Watch. Criminal Politics: Godfathers and Corruption in Nigeria. http://www.hrg.org. retrieved February 12, 2015.
- Ikegbu, Ephraim. “Dealing with Self Centredness in National Assembly Business”. Nigeria:Citizenship Education. Eds. G. O.Ozumba, F. O. Eteng& M. Okom. Aba: A.A.U Vitalis Book, 2012.
- Jarvie, I. C.; Milford, K. Karl Popper: Life and time, and values in a world of facts Volume 1 of Karl Popper: A Centenary Assessment, Karl Milford. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2006.
- Marlinspike, Moxie & Windy Hart. An Anarchist Critique of Democracy. http://theanarchistlibrary.org. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- Momoh, Abubakar. “Democracy, De‐democratisation and Development in Nigeria” Nigerian Journal of International Affairs Vol. 32, No. 2, 2006.
- Momoh, Abubakar. Democracy and Elections: Myth, Illusions and Reality. 3rd Annual Law and Social Development Lecture. Ikeja, October 25, 2010.
- Obasanjo, O. &Mabogunje, A. Elements of Democracy: A Farm House Dialogue. Abeokuta: ALF Publishers, 1992.
- Ogbonnaya, Ufiem; OluwasolaOmujo&NdadozieUdofona. The challenge of DemocraticGovernance in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Mediterean Journal of Social Sciences. 3.11 (2012): 685- 693.
- Oko, O. The challenges of Democratic consolidation in Africa. Http://www.works.bepress/okechukwu-oko/2. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- Olu-Olu, L. Corruption and the problem of Development in Nigeria. The Social Sciences. 1.3(2006): 183-187.
- Omodia, S. Elections and Democratic survival in the Nigerian Fourth Republic”. Journal of Social Science. 24.2 (2010): 129-133.
- Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), do the Votes Count. Final Report of the 2003 general Elections in Nigeria.
- UNDP. Human Development Report, 2011.
- Wilson, N. G. (2006). Encyclopedia of ancient Greece. New York: Routledge.
