THE STATE OF POLITICS, GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Over the decades, there has been a recurrent and sustained argument that the Nigerian State, like its counterpart in African and other countries of the developing world, under performs due to lack of state capacity to deal with the contemporary complexities of governance. This paper examines the state of politics, governance and democracy in Nigeria and asserted the factors militating against, the promotion of public goods and effective service delivery in Nigeria. As government is about service delivery in continuity and contingency not negating the pivotal state and the cardinal force of politics as the contraption of both elements birth or gives an expressive definition to the institution of a state as a human entity or society. The article draws data from secondary and primary sources, which include the author’s close observations of events in Nigeria Governance, politics and political parties while secondary sources entails journal articles, textbook, newspapers including published and unpublished text. The study observed in Nigeria that politics have been driven by self interest and other primordial tendencies which take priority over that of public interest. As it is smiling to mention that democratic government is adduced to be the widely accepted system of government among other form of government; it is accepted because it gives political sovereignty to the people were their will, aspirations, needs and demand are supposed to be guarantee by the state which is the coordinating system that stand as the tool of instrument to encompass all interests within it. The study enunciated that the Nigeria state is challenged with multifaceted challenges such as crisis of governance, utility and deployment of state power, state and management of security among other attendant problems. The paper recommends state reform across the Nigeria; national interest should supersede individual one, emergence of young politicians who are enthusiastic and competent.