Undemocratic Democracy: Evaluating Nigeria’s Democratic Journey Since 1999

This paper critically evaluates Nigeria’s democratic journey since its transition from military to civilian rule in 1999. Despite maintaining regular elections and a formal constitutional framework, democratic governance has failed to translate into substantive human development or inclusive growth. The study examines how systemic corruption, elite capture, institutional decay, and escalating insecurity have eroded the fundamental principles of democracy—accountability, participation, and public welfare. While Nigeria has recorded intermittent economic growth, this has remained exclusionary, with over 129 million people living in multidimensional poverty amid widening inequality and persistent unemployment. Weak governance structures and politicized institutions have enabled rent-seeking elites to dominate the political landscape, hollowing out electoral integrity and public trust. The proliferation of violent conflict, food insecurity, and internal displacement has further eroded state legitimacy and crippled key sectors such as agriculture. Declining voter turnout and political disengagement underscore a broader legitimacy crisis in a democracy increasingly devoid of substance. Through a multidimensional analysis—spanning economic, institutional, and security domains—the paper argues that Nigeria’s democracy operates more as a mechanism of elite consolidation than as a vehicle for collective uplift. It concludes by advocating for a transformative reform agenda grounded in institutional accountability, citizen empowerment, and inclusive governance. Without such structural overhauls, Nigeria risks entrenching a performative democracy—democratic in appearance but undemocratic in practice.