THE MAKING OF NIGERIA’S FOURTH REPUBLIC
CHAPTER ONE
THEORIES AND NATURE OF DEMOCRACY
Democracy has been subjected to different theories and interpretations. This is consequent of the fact that it can be seen from various perspectives. But the word “Democracy” is from two Greek words, ‘demos’ and ‘kratein’, demos means the people while and kratein is to rule.1 Democracy is thus a political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish. In a modern democracy, supreme authority is exercised for the most part by representatives elected by popular suffrage.
The representatives may be supplanted by the electorate according to the legal procedures of recall and referendum, and they are, at least in principle, responsible to the electorate. In many democracies, such as that of the United States and Nigeria, both the executive head of government and the legislature are elected.2 In typical constitutional monarchies such as the United Kingdom and Norway, only the legislators are elected, and from their ranks a cabinet and a prime minister are chosen.
Democratic forms and institutions are often confused with the concept ‘democracy.’3 The danger is what Bola Ige refers to as provincial tendency. He laments that some scholars assume that the American system is the model, a written constitution, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial reviews, federalism and private enterprise which are basic essentials to the American democracy.4 Election in a democracy is the selection of a person or persons for office by ballot. The essence is freedom of choice and making choice is only possible between alternatives implying multiparty system and multiplicity of candidates where there must be meaningful and extensive competition among individuals and organized groups for positions of government power.5 It is the existence of such groups, organized and operated along democratic traditions, that gives meaning to the electoral process and beautify the freedom to choose. Electoral and party systems are, hence, necessarily intertwined as both are designed to facilitate peaceful and orderly transfer of political power. Party politics within a democratic setting are, indeed, “intrinsically electoral politics.”6 Developments of the electoral system of any country are therefore bound to reflect one way or the other on the party system, and vice versa. For a party system to further the goal of democratic consolidation through free and fair elections, it must be conducive to the promotion of democratic culture among its leadership and officials.7 Accordingly, any program of electoral reform designed to further the goal of democratic transition or consolidation must take cognizance of the significant role of these key participants in the democratic process because the activities of this group, the rules and patterns of their operation, as well as their relationships and behavior do have significant consequences for the electoral system in particular and the political system in general.8
