Democratization In Nigeria

The over two decades of dictatorship in Nigeria was orchestrated by military juntas, therefore, the focus of the study is on military dictatorship. Thus, in line with the minimalist conception of military dictatorship, this study conceives military dictatorship as regimes that do not win and exercise power through competitive election. Rather, influence on policy and power is orchestrated and carried out by a group of officers under the military supreme body. (Supreme Military Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council and Provisional Ruling Council). It is an autocratic form of government in which military leaders govern the state. Normally, they result from a coup that topples the government. Military dictatorship is prevalent in countries where

However, the phenomenon of democratization connotes the process of installing a democratic system of administration. This, of course, involves an enhancement of the social condition necessary for the facilitation of a democratization process, characterized by a robust political atmosphere which ultimately engenders socio-economic and socio-cultural development of society. A democratic system of government is that political system in which everybody has equal opportunity to participate in the political process in whatever capacity that it deemed fit. A government, in this regard, derives its authority from the people who, in essence, choose those in government. An important feature of this system is the supremacy of the national or common interest, which must supersede personal interest (Ibagere and Omoera, 2010). Gunther et al (1995) aptly enthused that democratization process has three phases: the fall of the authoritarian regime, consolidation, and enduring democracy. Obviously, the foregoing opinion and similar others do not specify a time frame for the actualization of the three highlighted phases. It, therefore, means that the peculiarities in each system would play a profound role in the process of actualization. In the case of Nigeria, the slow pace of the process raises doubt in the minds of the generality of the people who, for instance, are confounded as to why such basic aspects of democracy as elections and legislative duties still lack significant purposiveness, twelve years after the Fourth Republic commenced. Ifeanacho and Nwagwu, (2009) opined that Democratization is more appropriately viewed as the institutionalization of democratic principles as part of