Political Instututions and Democratic Development in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigated the relationship between political Institutions and Democratic Development in Nigeria.  Institutional Accountability, Government Transparency, Electoral Credibility and Public Service Effectiveness were used as a proxy for political institution while democratic participation serves as a proxy for democratic development. The population of the study comprised citizens residing in the selected states in Nigeria (Rivers State, Lagos State, Enugu State, & Kaduna State) with a sample size of one hundred and forty (140). A structured questionnaire titled “Political Institutions and Democratic Participation Questionnaire (PIDPQ).” Was used to elicit information from respondents. A reliability coefficient of 0.76% was achieved using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability technique. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques with the aid of SPSS.  The result revealed that institutional accountability, government transparency and public service effectiveness had positive and significant relationship with democratic participation while electoral credibility exhibited a positive but insignificant relationship with democratic participation. It was therefore, concluded that political Institutions had substantial influence on Democratic Development in Nigeria it was recommended amongst other that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should strengthen institutional accountability mechanisms by intensifying monitoring, auditing, and prosecution of corrupt public officials. Improving accountability frameworks will enhance citizens’ confidence in governance and stimulate greater democratic participation across Nigeria.