NIGERIA DEMOCRACY IN THE LENS OF MAX WEBER’S POLITICAL LEGITIMACY

Abstract

Governance is a function of both the leaders and the followers. By implication, the leaders would be ineffective without the followers. Yet, even when the followers are present, the leaders can only lead the followers successfully with the consent of the followers. Therefore, governance ought to be a partnership, a friendly agreement, between the leaders and the followers. This analysis brings to light the absolute importance of consent to legitimizing leadership. Leadership or governance is tyrannical without consent. This is why democracy is considered to be the ideal form of governance because it prioritizes the consent of the people as a principle of legitimacy for political authority. Max Weber preaches the same ideal in his socio-political thoughts. Unfortunately, the same cannot be authoritatively said of democratic governance in Nigeria, where giant political actors often subvert the consent of the masses through dirty and devious politicking en route to political power. This is the foundation of the crisis of legitimacy in democratic governance in Nigeria. It is this problem that this thesis seeks to address. How is consent related to political legitimacy? Can consent accrue from any other value or quantity outside the will of the people (such as excellent performance in office)? To what extent is democracy democratic if the leaders do not represent the choice of the people? This thesis studies Max Weber’s postulations on political legitimacy in relation to democratic governance in Nigeria. It seeks to proffer solutions to the legitimacy crisis threatening democracy in Nigeria vis-à-vis the Weberian standpoint. The thesis finds out that the Weberian standpoint on the three sources of legitimacy (tradition, charisma and legality) is apt. Same can be used to improve democratic governance in Nigeria should the citizens brace up to the challenge of protecting and properly harnessing their assent (consent) by voting adequately during elections. It however notes that traditional legitimacy is at the center of the crisis of legitimacy challenging democratic governance in Nigeria due to the unhealthy influence of tribe and religion.