Reinforcing Democracy in Nigeria

It has been variously contended and profoundly demonstrated that democracy is at the crossroads in Nigeria. However, despite the vicissitudes of democracy in the Nigerian State, the horrendous setbacks brought about by the State’s recent encounter with authoritarianism make it imperative for Nigerians to fully embrace democracy. But democracy in its current tendencies in Nigeria is also not so attractive for such full embrace. It is contemplated in this study that what needs to be done necessitates the reinforcement of the existing pillars of the democratic foundation in Nigeria. Thus, this paper is centrally a contribution to the debates surrounding democratization in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study therefore, are (i) to identify the central deficient element of Nigeria’s democracy and (ii) make recommendations on the modalities of reinforcing democracy in Nigeria. The theoretical framework of the study is the elite theoretical framework. The methodology of the study is the critical mode of research. Findings of the study finally indicate that the central deficient element of Nigeria’s democracy is locatable in its elite dependence. Reinforcing democracy in Nigeria, the study therefore concludes, principally entails the making of the democratic culture, fully participatory and undeniably inclusive.