BEYOND TRIBE AND TONGUE: NATION-BUILDING AND DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Historically, lack of tolerance among politicians and their refusal to obey the rule of law and fair play in government have caused political unrest in Nigeria, thereby engulfing political instability across the nation. This paper, therefore, took a prognostic view of the continuing crisis of democratic challenges in Nigeria. Methodologically, it relies on secondary sources of data. The paper argues that, beyond tribe and tongue, ethnicity has fundamentally shaped the paths of nation-building, as well as the ideas and philosophies of political players in both military and civilian governments. Furthermore, democracy has encouraged some people's culture of impunity by applying the theory of prebendalism. Political disagreements are believed to have contributed to some of the violence that has occurred. The paper then suggests that the ethnic division afflicting the Nigerian system can be mostly explained by colonialism and its capitalist ideology foundations, as well as by the transplantation of the same kinds of features to Nigerian bourgeoisie components. The study exposed that sectional attitudes as well as ethnic bias match the evil ethnic structures produced by colonialism and the current trend of terrorism and security breaches destroying various geopolitical zones, particularly the northeastern region of Nigeria under the former Jonathan and Buhari administrations. Therefore, the main focus of the paper is to explore the recurrent cycle of defective political and ethical conflicts, aiming to identify their nature, shape, causes, and suggested remedies to enhance governance and address the challenges facing Nigerian democracy.