A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL MENTALITY IN NIGERIA DEMOCRACY

Nigeria is the most populous black nation, filled with different tribes and ethnic groups. Although there is a general perspective that the country is practicing democracy, the reverse is the case if we take a critical look at the system. Ever since the 1966 coup in Nigeria, region sentiment and ethnicity favoritism have successfully taken over. The handing over of the military to democracy has not changed anything because of the Northern region's dominance and their mantra of “born to rule.” One major reason why Nigeria has not produced a capable leader is the belief that politics is turn by turn. From the Federal down to the Local Government level, this is the norm, and an individual must wait until some people feel it is their time. While those who have influential connections either use money or thuggery to force their way into political seats. The 2023 election in view, has generated lots of controversy between the Northern and Southern protectorates. How the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) came into power was a coalition of different political parties which ousted the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The national leader of the party vying for the Presidency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, made a statement recently where he said “emi lokan” meaning I am the next. This was due to the role he played in the emergence of the current President Muhammadu Buhari. As a result, he believed the party should support him because of the role he had played in the past. His statement is a mentality that occurs in Nigeria's political space. Many people feel they should be elected based on how long they have stayed on the political scene. This is the major reason why politics in Nigeria continue to draw backward.