Populism and Democratic Backsliding in Nigeria: Lessons from Emerging Democracies

Abstract

Democracy fosters participation, freedom, and inclusiveness, as opposed to authoritarian systems. However, the democratic system varies across the globe. Populist democracy has emerged as a form of democratic system, where political actors use rhetoric to gain endorsement from the majority and still replicate what the elite government did when in government. They divide society into an elite group and an innocent majority to manipulate democratic norms, weakens institutions, and fuel distrust in the political process. If such populist tendencies remain unaddressed in Nigeria’s democratic system, they threaten to gradually dissipate the very foundations of democracy and push the country toward deeper instability and institutional decay. This study employed a secondary method of data collection, in which data were collected and analyzed using academic journals, government documents, institutional reports, and policy papers to explore populism and democratic backsliding in Nigeria. Findings indicated that populist governance undermines checks on government, civil liberties, and representative institutions, creating gaps between promises and performance. The study concludes that the spread of populist democracy has weakened Nigeria’s democratic consolidation and recommends strengthening institutions, civic engagement, and helping public understanding of democratic principles.