Bibliography includes bibliographical references p. Ibadan nigeria abstract in every democracy the world over, political parties are seen as the instruments of democratic process. This paper, using nigeria as a case study, examines the challenges of democratic consolidation in africa. Problems and prospects of democracy in nigeria infoguideng. Nigeria has no visible traces of substantial democratic credentials, yet there is so much of this democratic. Africa normative and ethical imperatives of change in. Intraparty democracy and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Consolidation of democracy and good governance in nigeria. Parties of the third were firmly under government control and so could not positively impact on democracy. Democracy, good governance, corruption, human rights, electoral reform. The climax of the analysis is the identified challenges plaguing democratic consolidation since. In this process, therefore, the nature of democratic consolidation in nigeria has been characterized by the determination of the nations political. Electoral crisis, governance and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Credible elections and democratic consolidation in nigeria.
Methodologically, data for this paper were generated mainly from secondary sources of recorded human documents. Apr 25, 2017 information about the subject of discourse was obtained principally from literature study complemented by other documentary and electronic sources. However, how democracy has driven the much needed development in the last sixteen years remains a debate. The paper posits that what negates democratic consolidation in nigeria is the failure of the actors to abide by the norms of democratization. See the problems and prospects of democracy in nigeria. Liberal theory of democracy is an interesting theory in this work. Ethnic militias in nigeria and their impact on democratic. Although elections are now more regular in nigeria, the quality of these elections is a. Mudiare department of sociology ahmadu bello university zaria, nigeria. Civil society, democratic governance and development in. The importance, how to, effect causes relationship, comparison, history, role, solutions are discussed.
Pdf the electoral process and democratic consolidation. Party defection and democratic consolidation in nigeria, 19992009 peter mbah lecturer, dept. Between democratic consolidation and change adeolu durotoye, phd head, department of international relations and diplomacy college of social and management sciences, afe babalola university, ado ekiti, ekiti state, nigeria abstract the conduct of the 2015 presidential election in nigeria recorded. The historical trajectory of electoral process in the post colonial nigerian is characterised by violence. However, the findings of the study showed that 95% of respondents agreed. The challenges of democratic consolidation in africa by.
May 31, 2015 despite the fact that nigeria has experienced about sixteen years of uninterrupted democracy practice the are various challenges confronting democratic consolidation and good governance in the nigeria. The process in nigeria has only so far witnessed the collapse of authoritarian military regimes while consolidating on that has become a serious challenge. Electoral laws and democratic consolidation in nigeria 1999. The meaning we ascribe to the consolidation of democracy, it argues, is both contextdependent and perspectivedependent. The period since 1999 has been marked by an extraordinary progress towards the consolidation of democracy in nigeria oyovbaire, 2008. Since restoration of democratic rule, the body politic has become over heated by lots of challenges among which are insecurity, ethnoreligious crises, corruption. Electoral violence and the challenge of democratic consolidation.
The notion is contested because it is not clear that there is anything substantive that happens to new democracies that secures their continuation beyond those factors that simply make it more likely that they continue as. Finally, the paper discusses the moral imperative of democratic consolidation in. For instance, there was no control of electoral spending, as billions of naira. And do not forget the judiciary because whatever you do in the exercise of your constitutional mandate must be within the ambit of the law, and it is the judiciary which has the responsibility to interpret the law. Get free research paper on social media and democratic consolidation in nigeria our project topics and materials are suitable for students in nigeria with case studies in pdf, doc.
With heavy reliance on secondary data supported by analytical approach, the paper xrayed the role of political parties in the democratic consolidation of nigerias fourth republic. The findings revealed that indicators of democratic consolidation are conspicuously absent in nigeria. Saturday, june 1, 2019 as africas most populous country, largest economy, and biggest democracy, nigeria is a bellwether for the continent. Party conflicts and democratic consolidation in nigeria 1999. With heavy reliance on secondary data supported by analytical approach, the paper xrayed the role of political parties in the democratic consolidation of nigeria s fourth republic. Njoku abstract since 1959, when the first general elections were held in nigeria, there has been the growing culture of political violence in the body politic of the country. Freedom of information act and democratic consolidation in nigeria. The postponement of nigerias fifth election since its return to civilian rule in 1999, together with fierce political competition, a security crisis and severe economic challenges linked to the drop in oil price, have thrown into sharp relief the challenges of conducting this essential process in such a complex environment. Political violence and its implications to democratic consolidation in nigeria dr. Conclusion reached by the paper is that democracy is yet. The governing elite and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Electoral reform and the prospects of democratic consolidation in nigeria j shola omotola j shola omotola is lecturer in the department of political science and public administration, redeemers university, nigeria email. Information about the subject of discourse was obtained principally from literature study complemented by other documentary and electronic sources. These subheadings of course do not lay claim to exhaustiveness but are rather more of highlights to explicate on the progressive tendencies in democratic consolidation in nigeria.
This theory is justified due to the fact that, it can help examine analytically the challenges of democratic consolidation in nigerias fourth republic as it designs the systematic structure through which a democratic political system can effectively function. Despite the fact that nigeria has experienced about sixteen years of uninterrupted democracy practice the are various challenges confronting democratic consolidation and good governance in the nigeria. Civil society, democratic governance and development in nigeria, 19992012 daniel eseme gberevbie abstract it has been argued by scholars that no nation can fully achieve its development potentials without democratic governance as engendered and supported by vibrant civil society. Federalism, integration and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Introduction may 29, 1999 marked a watershed in nigerias political annals. Pdf elections and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Thus it is obvious that,in the process of governance,there are linkages between the party and elected officials, including those in the legislature and the executive. We have in this study, identified democratic consolidation as a process and not a realization. Analysing the democracy and democratic practise in nigeria. Introduction may 29, 1999 marked a watershed in nigeria s political annals.
The established factors which have been encouraging this ugly. Democratic consolidation is the process by which a new democracy matures, in a way that means it is unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without an external shock. Elections and democratic consolidation in nigeria longdom. Although elections are now more regular in nigeria, the quality of these elections is a matter of grave concern to both the actors and observers. An assessment of political parties and democratic consolidation in nigerias fourth republic mike omilusi, phd department of political science ekiti state university, nigeria abstract democratic values and practices are crucial for democratic. For the fourth republic, it can be argued that there is a clear dominance of one political party which is the pdp. Even though nigeria has experienced over seventeen years of uninterrupted democratic practice, there are various challenges confronting nigeria s democracy which has restrained it from consolidation. In africa and nigeria in particular, the last one and half decade have been most commendable as we have witnessed the consolidation of democracy. Exploring alternative strategies for democratic consolidation in. Some of the issues that will be discussed in this article are the concept of rule of law, democracy and development, shortcomings of democracy and development in nigeria. Prospects and challenges preye kuro inokoba department of political science niger delta university, p. Abstractit is a visible fact that ten years into the fourth republic, governance at all levels in the nigerian polity has woefully failed to deliver the. Party politics and the challenges of democratic consolidation. Abstract nigeria s elections so far have been characterized by unprecedented ferocious and violent outcome due to various forms of electoral manipulations which have denied the country credible free and fair elections in her body politics.
In this process, therefore, the nature of democratic consolidation in nigeria has been characterized. Presidential candidate, all progressives congress, nigeria. Hence, the aim of this paper is to examine why democracy is not yet consolidated in nigeria. Democracy is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament. However, the conduct of elections in a plural society like nigeria is often fraught with animosities and violence. Freedom of information act and democratic consolidation in. Ethnic politics and democratic consolidation in nigeria. The nigerias electoral experience has traced a parabola.
It was observed from the paper that lack of accountability, inequality, corruption, weak enforcement agencies, godfatherism among others is limiting democratic consolidation in nigeria. Democracy and democratic consolidation in nigerian fourth republic. The paper will equally examine the elusiveness of democratic consolidation with a view to making some recommendations on democratic sustenance in. Political parties and democratic consolidation in nigeria in. How has political parties faired in the consolidation of the nigerias fourth. While there is widespread speculation as to the reasons for the. Africa normative and ethical imperatives of change in nigeria. Empirical evidence from oyo state and kwara state osakede, kehinde ohiole babcock university, department of political science and public administration ileshan remo, ogun state, nigeria email. The paper explored and analyzed election crisis in nigeria and its implication on democratic consolidation and development using content analysis method. The party, legislature and executive in nigerias democratic. Electoral violence and the survival of democracy in nigeria. The third section focuses on local government and democracy in nigeria within the context of localcentral politics relations and the fourth segment briefly examines local government in nigeria in the fourth republic. Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Thus, the discussion of ethnoreligious conflicts in whatever context becomes all the more necessary given the fact that there is a phenomenal recurrence of these conflicts around the nation thereby increasing its threat level to democratic consolidation in nigeria.
An assessment of political parties and democratic consolidation in nigerias fourth republic mike omilusi, phd department of political science ekiti state university, nigeria abstract democratic values and practices are crucial for democratic institutionalization and the development of party strength. National and state elections in 2019 were deeply competitive, with scattered instances of violence amid a mostly peaceful process. In undertaking an analysis of the role of civil society in democratic consolidation and good governance in nigeria, this chapter is divided into six sections, the. The design for the study was the descriptive analytical tool of analysis. As a democratic state over the last years, how has nigeria faired. The new social media and consolidation of democracy in. Abstract community oriented policing is a proactive philosophy that promotes solving problems that are either. Arguably, nigerias fiscal arrangement by the three levels of government has problem of coordination in service delivery. Worried about the future prospects of democracy in nigeria, the paper concludes with suggestions on the way forward towards the domestication of true democracy and good governance in the country, stressing that the time to act is now. To achieve democratic consolidation in nigeria, the independence of critical political structures and state agencies should be strengthened to enable them to discharge their constitutional duties without presidential interference.
The paper will equally examine the elusiveness of democratic consolidation with a view to making some recommendations on democratic sustenance in nigeria. The article reconstructs and reorders the multifaceted usage of the term. That usa, ussr, china, india, etc also have similar problems. Democratic consolidation is the process by which a new democracy matures, in a way that. Political parties institutionalisation and democratic consolidation. Towards the consolidation of democratic processes in nigeria. In fact, recent manifestations of electoral violence, most importantly since the birth of the fourth republic in 1999 have assumed an unprecedented magnitude and changing form, resulting in instability in democratic consolidation as well as the loss and displacement of many innocent lives. In this process, therefore, the nature of democratic consolidation in nigeria has been characterized by the determination of the nations political actors to squarely face the challenges of the. Uses, potentials and challenges ajayi, adegboyega isaac, ph.
By and large, the evolution of legislative function in nigeria is intricately interwoven with the advent and consolidation of british colonial administration. It will critically and objectively identify the problems and challenges of democratic consolidation in africa and offer suggestions that will move. Students of political democratization have employed the notion of democratic consolidation in unclear and inconsistent ways. Conclusion 42 the april elections and democratic consolidation in nigeria 42 appendix a. Challenges of electoral malpractices on democratic consolidation. The study reveals that the problem of plurality or heterogeneity is not peculiar with nigeria. Implications of irregularities on democratic consolidation in nigeria. This paper examines election rigging and its effect on democratic consolidation in nigeria relying on qualitative approach, using data gathered from secondary sources. We reiterate that democracy and development cohabit and inactivity of the former destroys the later.