The judiciary and democratic politics in Nigeria

Abstract

Constrained by the unfavorable societal conditions that shape it, the record of the Nigerian judiciary in promoting democracy has been mixed at best. The judiciary is part of the state structure and shares a common political culture with other state institutions. It is dependent on them for the resources needed for its institutional development and the enforcement of its judgments. It is yet to achieve a degree of durable institutional autonomy, which can help guarantee its independence from other political actors and institutions. The study adopted a survey design and content analysis of media reportage and review of some judicial pronouncements. It was observed that the judiciary have played key role in shaping democratic politics in Nigeria. The major recommendation of the study was that the judiciary through its procurements should strength existing electoral laws rather than making new ones. Another recommendation was that the government should consider a review of the constitutional provisions on democracy and political participation in order to make adequate provisions not only for political participation but also for mobilization of the people to participate as well as democratization of the political parties.