Civic Education · Lesson 4

Democracy, political apathy & popular participation

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: meaning, types, features, importance, pillars, problems; Topic 15 Political apathy: meaning, causes, consequences, why leaders fail to protect followers, how leaders can protect followers, ways of discouraging apathy; Topic 16 (part) Popular participation: meaning, types/modes, need for it; elections and the electoral process

NECO: meaning, types, features, importance, pillars, problems; Topic 15 Political apathy: meaning, causes, consequences, why leaders fail to protect followers, how leaders can protect followers, ways of discouraging apathy; Topic 16 (part) Popular participation: meaning, types/modes, need for it; elections and the electoral process

What you will learn

Define democracy and describe its types and features.
Explain the pillars of democracy and its importance.
Identify problems of democracy in Nigeria and their solutions.
Explain political apathy, its causes and consequences, and how it can be discouraged.
Explain why leaders sometimes fail to protect followers and how they can do so.
Explain popular participation, its modes and importance, and the electoral process.

Key points

Democracy: government in which power belongs to the people (Greek demos + kratos); Lincoln: of, by and for the people.
Origin: Athens, 5th century BC (direct democracy, excluding women and slaves).
Types: direct and representative; also presidential, parliamentary, liberal, social, constitutional.
Features: popular sovereignty, periodic free elections, universal adult suffrage, majority rule with minority rights, multi-party system, rule of law, rights, separation of powers, free press, accountability.
Pillars: elections/INEC, constitution, rule of law, judiciary, legislature, parties, press, civil society, rights, informed citizens.
Problems: rigging, violence, corruption, poverty, ethnic politics, godfatherism, weak party democracy, apathy, insecurity.
Political apathy: lack of interest in politics; causes include bad governance, rigging, violence, poverty; consequences include bad leaders and poor accountability.
Leaders fail through corruption, godfatherism and rigging; they protect followers by keeping promises, accountability, consultation and security; recall (s.69).
Popular participation: voting, registering, contesting, joining parties, campaigning, petitions, peaceful protest.
INEC (1998) runs federal and state elections, SIECs run LG elections; Electoral Act 2026 (replacing the 2022 Act) backs BVAS and electronic result viewing (IReV).

Start here: Meaning and origin of democracy

On election day, a farmer in Benue and a banker in Lagos each have exactly one vote. That simple idea, that ordinary people choose who governs them, is at the heart of democracy.

Democracy is a system of government in which supreme power belongs to the people, who exercise it either directly or through representatives they freely elect at regular intervals. The word comes from the Greek demos (people) and kratos (rule or power).

A widely quoted definition comes from the US President Abraham Lincoln (Gettysburg Address, 1863): democracy is "government of the people, by the people, for the people".

Of the people: power comes from the people.
By the people: the people govern themselves or through chosen representatives.
For the people: government exists for the welfare of the people.

Origin

Democracy is traced to the Greek city-state of Athens in the 5th century BC, where adult male citizens met in an assembly to make laws directly. Women, slaves and foreigners were excluded, so it was far from universal. Modern democracy grew through events such as the English parliamentary tradition and the American and French revolutions, and spread widely in the 20th century.

Nigeria’s Constitution reflects democratic principles: section 14(2)(a) declares that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, from whom government derives its powers, and section 14(2)(c) says the participation of the people in government shall be ensured.

Worked example 4.1

Explain Lincoln’s definition of democracy using Nigerian examples.

Of the people: section 14 says sovereignty belongs to Nigerians.
By the people: citizens elect the President, governors and legislators.
For the people: section 14(2)(b) says security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government.

Source, method and purpose of power all rest with the people.

Try it yourself. What do the Greek words demos and kratos mean?

Show solution

Demos: people. Kratos: rule/power.

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Practice questions

1. Democracy comes from Greek words meaning

rule by the people
rule by the rich
rule by one
rule by the army

Show answer

A: rule by the people
Demos (people) + kratos (rule).

2. Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as government

by the few for the many
of the rich for the poor
by the army for the people
of the people, by the people, for the people

Show answer

D: of the people, by the people, for the people
Gettysburg Address, 1863.

3. Direct democracy was practised in ancient

Egypt
Oyo
Athens
Rome only

Show answer

C: Athens
Citizens voted in person; women and slaves excluded.

4. In representative democracy, citizens

are ruled by a king
elect people to make decisions for them
vote on every law themselves
have no role

Show answer

B: elect people to make decisions for them
Indirect democracy.

5. Which is a feature of democracy?

Periodic free and fair elections
Rule by decree
One-party rule by force
Censorship of the press

Show answer

A: Periodic free and fair elections
Also rule of law and rights.

Key words

Democracy: Government in which supreme power belongs to the people, exercised directly or through freely elected representatives.
Direct democracy: A system in which citizens themselves meet to make decisions, as in ancient Athens.
Representative democracy: A system in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
Sovereignty: Supreme power; in a democracy it belongs to the people (s.14(2)(a)).
Franchise (suffrage): The right to vote.
Universal adult suffrage: The right of all adult citizens to vote, regardless of sex, wealth or education.
Periodic elections: Elections held at regular, fixed intervals (four years in Nigeria).
Political apathy: Lack of interest in, or withdrawal from, political activities.
Popular participation: Involvement of citizens in the political process and decisions that affect them.
Electorate: All the people qualified to vote in an election.
Constituency: An area whose voters elect a representative.
Referendum: A direct vote by the electorate on a particular issue.

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