NIGERIA'S DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT AND THE RESULTING CITIZEN POLITICAL APATHY IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC

Abstract

Democracy is all about the active participation of the citizens and the defense and protection of the rights and interests of the citizens. When this basic truth is lacking in any democratic political system, then the essence for the adoption of democracy as a form of government is defeated. Since the birth of the Fourth Republic in Nigeria in 1999, there has been a growing deficit of the principles and values of democracy in Nigeria. This paper examined the shortcomings of democratic governance in Nigeria Fourth Republic, highlighting its attendant effect on the political participation of the citizens. The study adopted the elitist theory of democracy as a guide. The study adopted a qualitative method of data collection. This is anchored on historical approach. The study made use of content analytical approach in the analysis of our data. The finding of the study shows that Nigerian democracy from 1960 till date has been declining in terms of its content and impact in the lives of the citizens. The study also found that due to the “hijack” of Nigerian democracy by the political elites, majority of Nigerians do not see the reason for continuous participation in politics. The study recommends among others, that the principle of accountability and transparency should be entrenched in Nigeria’s democratic government through the promotion of internal party democracy and a nation-wide periodic democratic elections that reflect free, fair and transparent process.