Political Participation and Nigerian Democracy: A Survey of the Electorate in the 2012 Governorship Election in Edo State

Abstract

This paper explores Nigerians’ political participation in Nigeria’s democracy. It situates the core indices frustrating the emergence of an effective democratic culture within the context of domestic instability and crisis. The paper adopted both primary and secondary sources in collecting data. Whilst, employing both ethnicity and Elite theories to further buttress the focus of this paper, political issues in Nigeria therefore, were discovered to be driven by the “moneyed-class” while the majority of the masses feel alienated. Also discovered is that access to the political space is a function of wealth. Electoral violence was also discovered as a core variable militating against effective political participation. The paper concludes that there is the need to reform the electorate system in Nigeria if Nigeria is to escape from the present atrocious political situation, political parties in addition, must be able to observe internal democracy within their ranks and also there should be periodic public sensitization, while elections must also be credible. The paper recommends among others; that political parties members must have opportunity to make input into the decision making process in this respect, the overwhelming influence of the rich and powerful Godfathers will be reduced to the barest minimum. As a logical follow up to the above, there should be a conscious attempt at reducing illiteracy among majority of Nigerians. This will enable citizens to be aware of their civil rights and responsibilities and finally among others, sustainable effort at economic empowerment of the people must also be guaranteed. This will certainly serve as an antidote to vote buying. It is therefore, also, important that the government meet the basic economic needs of its citizens to forestall the regular occurrence of these perverted tendencies

Keywords: Politics, Political Participation, Democracy, Election and Nigeria