Democracy And Political Participation In Nigeria

Democracy And Political Participation In Nigeria

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of Study

The Nigerian state assumed a new governance status in 1999 following the demise of authoritarian governance in the country. Military absolutism was replaced by representative republic with the expedients and bournes of good governance much advanced than what the putatively collapsible popular institutions could fulfill. The source and nature of transition in 1999 was latterly set up to constitute trouble to the foundation of republic and obliterates the current sweats at consolidating republic.

The reality of the attempts to lessen the conception of republic to serve the interests of a many, rather than a lesser maturity, still looms high. The arising republic was artificial and reflexive of external duty. It’s a weak republic that repudiates inalienable morality of its true identity. Republic and political participation are related to good governance are interrelated and reciprocal but appear to be contrary in Nigeria. Republic in Nigeria is alien and its practice has proved delicate.

Republic is abused, good governance becomes fugitive and fugitive. This is what Darl( 1989) describes as “ virtual republic ”, republic that shares resemblance with true republic but lacks introductory tenets of republic. Republic in Nigeria has three unique features which include sequestration of profitable matters from popular participation, manipulation and monopolization of popular process including the use of violence and electoral fraud to secure legality and supplemental participation of citizens. face- position participation doesn’t have far- reaching influence on the outgrowth of policy choices.

According to Oke( 2010) republic involves the occasion to share in decision making in the political process. It repudiates arbitrariness and despotism. It extols the concurrence of the governed and it protects mortal personality and values( Ake, 1991). Republic, whether liberal, African or ultramodern, includes equal occasion for all, abecedarian recognition of popular sovereignty, representativeness, maturity rule, nonage rights, popular discussion, right of choice between indispensable programmes, agreement on abecedarian issues, as well as basically periodic choices( Oke, 2005). The conception of republic confers the occasion to share in decision timber by all.

Republic then goes beyond occasion of election. Although, the centrality of choices to popular process can’t beover-emphasized, republic isn’t wholly centered on election. For republic to evolve good governance, it must be liberal and participatory. In this sense, Liberal republic entails not only free and fair choices in terms of advancing administration, it requires a more comprehensive fairness of political competition embodied in the conception of a just and open competition. In a liberal republic, the electoral arena is open, and the playing field is nicely position.

Only in a free society with occasion of free participation and felicitations for citizens ’ rights can good governance be achieved. True republic places emphasis on freedom, and open competition, popular and meaningful participation, responsiveness, translucency and responsibility. Freedom to organise, freedom to protestanti-people programs and freedom to demand and assert citizens ’ rights and interests, freedom of the press to report, probe and expose government programs and conduct without fear or favour. According to Diamond( 2005), “ Only in a climate of true political and civil freedom can a country achieve the absolute abecedarian condition for development responsible government — that is government that’s committed to the advancement of the public good, rather than the private interests of its own officers and their families and their cronies ”.

Statement Of The Problem

The experience with citizens ’ participation in electoral politics in Nigeria generally and Delta state in particular has not been encouraging. Indeed where development of original participation is an important tool of pastoral development and where political education in mass participation is a crucial element of the development strategy, programmes haven’t developed genuine participation and responsibility among the people.

The people have come donors of development as if development is commodity outside their realms of experience and right independently. There are political, socio-artistic and regulatory constraints to political participation.

Objects Of Study

The main ideal of this design work is to consider the nature and extent of political participation by the people in a popular system. This, as noted over, will be carried out by assessing the involvement of the people in electoral process in Asaba, Delta state.

Besides, this exploration work also aims at achieving other important objects which are also abecedarian to the smooth operations of governance in a popular set up. The other objects are enumerated below

To establish any possible relationship between political education and political participation in order to easily state the pivotal component of political participation;

To examine the legal frame of electoral system and election administration in Nigeria in order to spot their crunches and give possible emendations;

To propose a number of strategies to rally citizens for increased political participation and effectiveness independently in the country as a total; and

To know the degree of confidence the people have in the electoral system of their state/ country as it’s assumed that this is reflected in their participation in electoral politics.

Significance Of Study

This exploration work is significant because it’s aimed at explaining political participation in the environment of good governance. This will enables us to appreciate the fact that the expression of a public docket through dialogue by all stakeholders is a prerequisite for political participation.

Participation needs to be part of a broader conceptualization of development, with much further attention to organizational structures and liaison. still, participation has turned into a cliché for those administering development; its values have been overemphasized, while doing little to make it a reality.

Compass Of The Study

This design work shall bandy the conception of political participation, fastening substantially on what it’s and what it isn’t within the African environment. The history of Nigeria’s politics shall be traced from the social period to the present. The gathering of views on the electoral politics shall be confined to Asaba Delta State with reference to the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 general choices covering Gubernatorial, House of Assembly and Original Government choices in the state.

Exploration Thesis

The exploration thesis that will serve as the mark for the administration of the questionnaire shall be grounded on the theoretical frame that political education is abecedarian to political participation. thus, the exploration suppositions are

H0 That the extent of the political participation of the people in electoral politics isn’t related to their political education.

H1 That the extent of the political participation of the people in electoral politics is related to their political education.

Where H0 is the Hull Hypothesis, while H1 is the Indispensable thesis

Description Of Terms

Republic; A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely tagged representatives.

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION; Political participation can be defined as those conduct of private citizens by which they seek to impact or to support government and politics.

ELECTION; An election is a formal decision making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office.