ABSTRACT
Democratic practice in Nigeria has passed through different phases with profound impacts on its entrenched nature in a polity characterised by divisive tendencies. Nigeria has been unable to rise above the tide of the authoritarian past, in spite of its 20 years of unbroken civilian administrations. While the practice so far has shown a semblance of the minimalist conception of democracy, its adherence to the principles and rules associated with public participation has been defective. The political elite are not ready to adhere to the practice of democracy because of their desire to protect their pecuniary interests. Consequently, governance issues are relegated to the background, while the members of the public groan under a repressive democratic order. This chapter argues that the desecration of democratic values associated with the presidential system has given rise to the problem of accountability and good governance, hence the cycle of crises of governance. The high rate of political illiteracy among members of the public has remained a major obstacle to democratic consolidation and the quest for good governance. An uninformed public will not be able to harness the various democratic mechanisms to enforce accountability, a core component of democratic governance.
