Nigeria’s Fourth Republic Democratic or Civil Rule

Abstract

This paper assesses practice of democratic governance in the present Republic. Concepts of democracy and civil rule were reviewed. the elite model was adopted for the analysis of the paper. The features of a democracy like freedom of information, popular and direct participation, credible electoral process, discipline, honesty, openness, transparency and accountability, periodic free and fair elections etc. situating the above in the Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, The paper finds out that Nigeria has not improved beyond what existed in the military era. The Nigeria’s Fourth Republic democracy is rule by the minority through alienation. Leadership in the Nigerian Fourth Republic is not people oriented as their ascension to power is through unethical means. The judiciary does not have true independence and this rubs them of their role as the last hope of a common man. The paper concludes that there is no democracy in Nigeria. Democracy anywhere it is practiced must be seen through its tenets and these are not on ground in Nigeria. Thus, Nigeria has only experience an uninterrupted civil rule in the Fourth Republic. The paper recommends that for an entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria, the citizens must sit up to see that democratic tenets are adhered to. Again, there must be freedom of the electorates which makes the difference between enslavement and liberation. This is only possible if the electorates are allowed to exercise their franchise in choosing who should lead them. All these can be done when there is the observance of the rule of law and the supremacy of the constitution.