ideological battle in the nigerian state: an interplay of democracy and plutocracy

ideological battle in the nigerian state: an interplay of democracy and plutocracy

Abstract

It has been widely argued that democracy is an
imperative for development in the 21st Century Nigeria.
Perhaps, it is because the concept has been tested in some
societies, particularly in western societies and it worked. The
paper argues that one of the reasons democratic institution
has not yet been properly rooted in Nigeria is that it has been
choked off and smothered by plutocracy. The attendant
consequences include, impoverishment of the citizenry,
gradual deterioration of established democratic institutions
and agencies and high level of criminality, militancy and
terrorist-oriented activities.
Keywords : Ideology, Democracy, Plutocracy, Elitism,
Development.
I. INTRODUCTION
he democratic forces must be careful about
rallying around crooks because of short-term,
calculations. Crooks are unreliable. They will sell
democracy down the river if and when it becomes
necessary in pursuit of their personal ambitions for them
to reach accommodation with anti-democratic oligarchy.
What democracy needs is a principled and dedicated
leadership and more effective institutions for combating
any oligarchy (Toyo, 1994:62).
Nigeria, after five decades of political
independence, still finds itself in the throes and
trajectory of deep political quagmire. Frantic efforts to
ensure that there exists smooth and sustainable
democratic governance have failed several times. The
cause of this is not far fetched. It is basically because
the Nation State has been hijacked by a stratum of
plutocrats and timocrats. Given the degree and high
rate of their ill-accumulated wealth in the Nigerian
society, the ideological interest of the Cabal appears to
influence and determine the contour of the Nigerian
political system and structure that is largely build upon
democratic principles.
Author Į : Institute of Human Resources Development,
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
Author ı : Institute of Human Resources Development, Federal
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
power to the civilian were basically characterized by
arbitrary power, intimidation, subversion of the rule of
law, suspension of the constitution and the abolition of
virtually all institutions of democratic governance
(popular participation, the fusion of executive and
legislative powers, the mutilation and emasculation of
the judiciary). The military’s repressive nature has also
been interpreted through the ethnic prism that accuses
the military elite who monopolized power as
representing sectional interests. The abortion of the
transition to a third Nigerian Republic through the
annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election
was a classical case in point.
Beyond this popular view, some students of
political theory have also begun to argue that the
country’s lose of grip on democracy can be tied to rein
of plutocrats in the corridors of power and circles of
governance.
The paper, therefore, examines the interplay of
democracy and plutocracy in the context of the Nigerian
State.ideological battle
II. CONCEPTUALISING IDEOLOGY,
DEMOCRACY, PLUTOCRACY AND
GOVERNANCE
From a social-scientific viewpoint, an ideology is
more or less a coherent set of ideas that provides a
basis for organized political action (whether or not it is
intended to preserve, modify or overthrow the existing
system of power relationships.)ideological battle All ideologies, usually in
the form of a ‘world view’, provide a model of a desired
future, a vision of the good society, and outline of how
political change can and should be brought about.ideological battle
Ideologies are not, however, hermetically sealed
systems of thought, rather, they are fluid sets of ideas
which overlap with one another at a number of points.ideological battle
Ideologies are also always subject to political or
intellectual renewal, because they interact with and
influence the development of other ideologies and
because they change over time as they are applied to
changing historical circumstances (Heywood, 2003).ideological battle
Throughout the ages, the great political
theorists have dealt with the question: what is a good
government and what kind of society will provide the
base for it? ideological battle Their theories were influenced substantially
by the type of society they lived in or ideology they
subscribed to as no theory or ideology develops in a
Many scholars are of the opinion that the woes
of democratic institutions have been largely attributed to
the military incursion into politics. ideological battle For instance, the
transition programmes during these periods which were
ostensibly arranged for the purpose of handing over.ideological battle

• Get the Complete Project

Sharing is caring!