ETHNICITY AND DEMOCRACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INTERROGATION OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF ETHNIC POLITICS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria's kind of democracy is a body polity that has been heavily underlined and predicated on ethnic sentiments and all forms of prejudices. Given the divergent cultural orientations and ethnic divides of over a million people brought together in 1914 by Sir Frederick Lord Lugard's policy of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Nigeria British's Protectorates, one must ask what it is in ethnicity that not only characterizes and truncates Nigeria's democratic process but also its implications that threaten her corporate existence. This is germane that, knowing the implications of her being multi-cultural, the constitution is put in place to regulate and define the principle of her unity and overall development. Contrarily, our historical experience seems to attest that emotion and biases play more to determine the quality of Nigeria democracy. Having exposed the currents in our historical experience, particular modes of political activities depicting ethnic colouration are examined and interpreted as phenomenal. Though weak as it is, the Nigerian constitution is not totally ineffectual in guaranteeing protection of lives and property, and in ensuring equitable distribution of privileges and resources for all Nigerians which ethnic politicking seeks to preclude for sectarian interest. It is the goodwill of the leadership of the country in the spirit of rule of law that can ensure this.