Towards the Sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria:
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Date
2019
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Pretoria University Law Press
Abstract
Democracy is a governance style which involves every citizen and which is run for the benefit of
all, as the people’s representatives form the government, and they in turn work for the collective
interests.1 Nigeria became an independent country within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1960.
The operating Constitution from then to 30 September 1963 empowered the parliamentary federal
legislature to make laws for the country on exclusive legislative matters. To the extent that the
members of the legislature were elected by eligible voters in Nigeria, the country passed through
democratic governance.2 Under the 1963 Constitution Nigeria continued its democratic
experiences except that the Queen of England ceased to be the head of state in Nigeria.3 Taiwo
captures the political transition from 1966 to 1979 as follows:4 The constitutional and political
order introduced into the country at independence came to an abrupt end on 15 January 1966
following a military coup. The existing democratic structure was replaced by a military order, and
this scenario prevailed until 1979 when the country returned to civil rule. In 1979, a new system
of government, the presidential system, replaced the parliamentary system of governance that
existed under the 1963 Republican Constitution.
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Citation
Olayinka, O.F., ‘Towards the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria: The role of an independent judiciary in elections,’ in Adeola &Jegede (eds 2019), Governance in Nigeria post-1999: Revisiting the democratic “new dawn” of the Fourth Republic, Pretoria University Law Press