The nascent democracy in Nigeria is plagued with myriad of intrigues, discordant opinions of the political class.
The reason is not farfetched. Every political party sees its manifesto and plans of action as the best for the
citizenry. They elbow each other in the process of garnering political recognition and vibrancy. Their unhealthy
rivalry only heat up the polity. How be it some Nigerians see these political dissent as a necessary tool to a
sound democratic process. They argue that dissenting voices amongst the political class are necessary since a
democratic process would never be devoid of antagonism and democracy would never thrive on rational
consensus. This paper seeks to define democracy, explore the dissenting opinions of the political class which
many say attempt to make or mar the democratic process in Nigeria. The study would further examine the role
of the media in fast tracking the entire democratization process with a view to ascertaining whether the practice
of democracy in Nigeria is in tandem with acceptable practices in the well recognized democracies of the world.
Finally, the paper would proffer possible solutions and make necessary recommendations that would help deepen
true democratic culture in Nigeria.
Key words, democracy, politics, dissent, mass media, democratization process.
The Concept of Democracy
It is difficult to reach a consensus on the definition of democracy. However, the main idea of democracy is
widely accepted to have originated from Athens in the 5th century BC.
The Webster New Encyclopaedic Dictionary (1995) defines democracy as a government in which supreme
power is invested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through representation. According
to Lindell, and Scott (1999), the term originates from the Greek word (demokratia) “rule of the people” which
was coined from (demos) “people” and (kratos) “power” or “rule” in the 5th century B.C.
It is important to note that the political system postulated by the Athenians was such that democratic citizenship
was exclusive to an elite class of free men only. Slaves and women were excluded from participation.
Explanation: yup
