DEMOCRACY AND NON- VIOLENCE ISSUES IN NIGERIA
Abstract
Democracy is a system of government which depends on the will of the people (coe.int). It establishes sovereignty in the people. This singular fact makes democracy a popular system of government around the world because it derives its moral strength and popular appeal from two key principles of individual autonomy, and equality. However, many democracies in the world have failed for not upholding the above stated twin principles that make for non –violence. From France to Cameroon, Great Britain to Nigeria, Israel and the Middle East, America to Russia, infractions trail the practice everywhere, notwithstanding the variant of democracy practiced. This sees the freedoms, peace, development and human rights propagated by the practice as elusive, and in many instances the news waves becoming replete with tales of violence, death, and woes as seen in Nigeria which had practiced parliamentary democracy (British style), before it changed to presidential democracy (American style) from 1979 till date. The practice seems somewhat to precipitate political violence, and this gets worse during every electioneering period as can be buttressed by the 2023 general elections in Nigeria. Thus this paper on Nigeria’s democracy and non - violence issues, will rely on secondary data, participant observation, and elitist theoretical perspectives to attempt to analyze non - violence issues in Nigeria and success of democracy.
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