Democracy, Development and Insurgency: The Nigerian Experience in the Fourth Republic

Abstract

The paper examined the interlocking relationship among democracy, development and insurgency in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. It interrogated the western orthodox conception that democracy necessarily brings about development. It made use of literary materials in its analysis after subjecting them to textual and contextual analysis. The paper posited that since 1999, Nigeria’s ruling elites have marginalized and impoverished the vast majority of Nigerians. It contended that the failure of the ruling elite accentuated insurgency and terrorism and concluded that the prophylactic is for the Nigerian people to remain the focus and ‘raison d’ etre’ of democracy and not pursuit of ‘self’ and ‘class’ interests.

Keywords: Democracy, Development, Insurgency, Terrorism, Fourth Republic