- LAÜ Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi
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- THE QUALITY OF ‘20-YEAR-OLD’ DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: FROM AUTHORITARIAN TO DEMOCRATIC HYBRIDITY?
THE QUALITY OF ‘20-YEAR-OLD’ DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: FROM AUTHORITARIAN TO DEMOCRATIC HYBRIDITY?
Authors : Victoria Satu Jatau, Nur Köprülü
Pages : 189-210
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Publication Date : 2024-04-16
Article Type : Research
Abstract :The regime-type in Nigeria has been a controversial in scholarly discussions. This article draws its meaning from the earlier classifications of the case of the Nigerian Republic as ‘ambiguous’. The path towards democratization in the Fourth Republic of Nigeria is an ongoing process, and it is worth scrutinizing its regime hybridity. This article, thus, problematizes the quality of democracy in Nigeria and illustrates the permeable nexus between democratic and authoritarian forms of governance, emphasizing that these processes are not stagnant, but rather intertwined. In this regard, this article argues that the regime-type in Nigeria is a hybrid of authoritarian and liberal principles. However, the degree of hybridity varied during the Fourth Republic. In light of this, this article focuses on the reasons for the improvement of democracy in Nigeria from the authoritarian to the liberal end of the democratic spectrum between 2011 and 2015. The study employs qualitative methods in the form of comparative and descriptive analysis. Data is drawn from Freedom House and Afrobarometer, as well as the growing literature on Nigerian democratization and hybrid regimes. With the aim of placing the Fourth Republic of Nigeria in the context of current regime typologies, this article utilizes the democratic indicators of Linz and Stepan regarding civil and political societies to demonstrate the hybrid nature of Nigerian democracy, and its location within competitive authoritarianism. This contradicts the earlier theory of the Nigerian case proposed by Diamond and Carothers’. This paper argues that multiparty electoral competition in Nigeria, especially in the 2015 elections, was real and led to power alternation as Nigerian democracy is mostly the result of inefficiency and a lack of the proper utilisation of political society. Hence, hybrid regimes cannot be simply described as semi- or pseudo-democracies; rather, each has a unique character and trajectory of regime hybridity, which calls for an in-depth analysis.Keywords : Nijerya, melez rejimler, demokrasi, seçimler, partiler ve muhalefet, rekabetçi otoriterlik, etnik-dinsel ayrışmalar