DEMOCRACY, PUBLIC ORDER AND CRISES OF NATION BUILDING IN NIGERIA'S FOURTH REPUBLIC

Abstract

This study interrogates the complex nexus between democracy, public order and the enduring crises of nation-building in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. Since the transition to civilian rule in 1999, Nigeria has grappled with the dual challenge of consolidating democratic governance while preserving national unity in the face of persistent political instability, ethnic and sectarian violence, systemic corruption, and fragile institutions. Far from serving solely as a vehicle for inclusion and representation, the Nigerian democratic experience has, at times, deepened existing fractures through electoral malpractice, pervasive insecurity, and elite-driven ethnic
politics, thereby undermining public order and eroding social cohesion. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of historical and contemporary political developments, this study asks: How has Nigeria's democratic trajectory simultaneously expanded civic freedoms and intensified the crises of nation-building? The discussion draws on relevant strands of democratic theory and
elite theory to illuminate how entrenched elite dominance and weak institutional safeguards shape the democratic-public order nexus. Ultimately, the study argues for a recalibration of Nigeria's democratic practice toward inclusive governance frameworks that not only safeguard public order but also address the centrifugal forces impeding national integration.