Interrogating Ethnicity and Democratic Politics in Nigeria

Abstract

For a considerable period, ethnicity and democratic politics in Nigeria have produced a diverging set of analytical explanations with particular reference to whether or not it has significance consequences on the democratic process. As a contribution to the various literature and narratives, this study reflects on the complex nature of ethnicity in the body polity of the Nigerian state with an objective of de-emphasizing its application on Nigeria democratic politics. Data collection was mainly on secondary sources and content analysis applied. The findings of this work among others are that ethnicity is politicized, manipulated and mobilized in Nigeria to enhance the
position of the ruling class. Consequently, the paper recommended among others that the political elites in Nigeria should have an attitudinal change in the manipulation and politicization of ethnicity in their bid to gain access to political power.