Politics and the Struggle for Democracy in Nigeria: An Appraisal

Abstract

The paper takes an incisive look at the way politics is being played in Nigeria since her independence in 1960. The fact that politics has all along being played along ethnic lines under different political cultures is fully discussed, not losing sight of the fact that democracy is still in its infancy in the country. The efforts of pro-democracy groups to chase the military back to the barracks paid off when after a long chain of military rule, democracy was finally established in 1999. It is recommended that the only way to sustain democracy in the country is for successive political leaders to imbibe the culture of servant leadership devoid of corruption and sit tight syndrome.

Keywords: Political participation, Ethnic politics, Pro-democracy groups, Military intrusion.