POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA INSIGHTS FROM KOLOKUMA/OPOKUMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAYELSA STATE

Abstract

The cardinal objective for the establishment of the local government system in Nigeria is to bring democratic governance to the local citizens through proper political education and socialization that will empower them to effectively participate in grassroots democracy and governance. This is based on the premise that active and robust participation of majority of the citizenry is key to the health, survival and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. Thus, the paper examined the extent, in which the citizens are involved in political activities at the local government level and how this has impacted on the state of grassroots democracy with particular reference to Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative means of data collection, interpretation and analysis. This involved the use of questionnaires, oral interviews with stakeholders and data or information from secondary sources. The findings of this research are that there is low citizens’ participation at the local level and this has had a debilitating effect on the state of democracy at the grassroots. On the basis of the findings of the study, it is recommended that there is urgent need for actionable informal and informal approaches to political education of Nigerians at the grassroots.