RETHINKING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AND INCLUSION OF LOCAL GGOVERNMENT IN POLITICS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Democracy has been observed as the only acceptable way of enhancing governance in all countries of the world, including Nigeria. The idea of democracy permits or allows for the majority participation or inclusion of localities in governance and guarantees the strict adherence to the rule of law with transparency and accountability in governance. This leverages the inclusion of local people acquiring powers in public offices by standing in an elective office. The brain behind this is to ensure equality and give a sense of belonging to the people within the local areas of Nigeria. The study adopted a content analytical method because the data were collected through secondary sources such as books, journals, newspapers and government official documents. The study was anchored on Robert Chamber’s participatory development theory in 1980. The study argued that since Nigeria adopted democratic governance 1999, the inclusion of local government in local governance has been manipulation of both the federal and state might. This challenge has marred equitable citizen participation and inclusion in local governance. As such, it continues to generate serious controversy and conflicts, especially in the appointment and election of local populace to political positions. The high level of unemployment, poor rural infrastructure, lack of social amenities, poor rural development, high level of insecurity, and poor representation of the local areas in the decision-making process in Nigeria have evidently proved that the government has lost the confidence and sense of democratic governance in the country. The study further concludes that local government inclusion in the democratic governance in Nigeria has suffered a series of setbacks for decade, which has resulted in political neglect of the local citizenry, insecurity, voters’ disenfranchisement, poor electoral voters’ sensitizations, and political thuggery at the local government level in Nigeria. The 1999 constitution should clearly define the position of local governments in the inclusion of the local people to curb the unnecessary interventions of other tiers in local governance. Full autonomy should be granted to the Nigerian local government system so that they will be free to boast of democratic dividends to the people by developing the rural areas in the order of priority