Constitutionalism, Democracy and National Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 states that the Constitution is supreme and a government can only legitimately come to power in the Federal Republic of Nigeria through democratic means. Democracy which is the popular mandate of the people is therefore the only legitimate means of governance in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the democratic governments in Nigeria just like their military counterparts have failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorates. The common man in Nigeria expects national development, the respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution. The question is what is really the cause of the inability of the government to meet up to the aspirations of its people? Corruption and bad governance cannot be ruled out as part of the problem. This paper therefore intends to examine national development in Nigeria in the light of constitutionalism and national development.