CHALLENGES OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN GOODLUCK JONATHAN’S ADMINISTRATION FROM 2010 - 2015

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges of liberal democracy in Goodluck Jonathan’s administration from 2010 - 2015. It further evaluates the practice of this form of democracy and its conformity with the tenets of liberal democracy. It is democracies that guarantee for citizens much broader spectrum of social and economic rights. The paper adopts the Elitist theory of democracy as its tool of analysis. Relating the elitist theory to this paper is the facts that President Goodluck Jonathan belongs to the group of segmented elites as he exercises his power over the entire Nigeria rightly or wrongly. Too, he attained the Presidential status as a member of the ruling class and People’s Democratic Party. Furthermore, existing bodies of knowledge were consulted in relation to the challenges of Liberal democracy and observed that liberal democracy vis-à-vis, its tenets under president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was characterized by conflict of communal, religious, and ethnic groups. More to these are problems of corruption, thieving, election rigging, ill-preparedness, destruction of necessary infrastructures that are needed for development, etc. Finally, this paper finds out that the challenges and underdevelopment of genuine liberal democracy is masterminded by our political elites and against this backdrop these elites struggle to fix this anomaly. The paper recommends that Nigeria needs a democracy capable of guaranteeing not only fundamental human rights but also address the overwhelming issue of material poverty of the people.