Title: Negotiated Injustice: Political Elite Consensus And Abuse Of The Rule Of Law In Nigeria.
Authors: Emenike, Ekene And Uzor, Obiora Anthony
Volume: 9
Issue: 5
Pages: 128-134
Publication Date: 2025/05/28
Abstract:
: There is no gainsaying that the rule of law is unambiguously enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. The only surprising thing to any rational individual is the blatant disrespect shown to this constitutional provision by Nigerian rulers who had openly sworn to uphold it. This paper examines the role of political elite consensus on rule of law in the Nigerian democracy. The specific objective of the study is to determine how corruption has affected the abuse of the rule of law in Nigeria. The study adopted content analysis relying basically on secondary sources of data. The study adopted elite theory to analyze the tensions between the state and the elites, and the impact of this tension on the democratic processes of the country. In particular, the paper focuses on the ways in which elite factions have both enabled and impeded the development of a strong, legitimate state. The paper argues that the failure to establish effective consensus between the state and the elites has underpinned many of the crises experienced by the country, and that without a more effective consensus between these groups, democracy in Nigeria will remain vulnerable. From the discourse, it is observed that political elite consensus has affected the abuse of the rule of law in Nigeria. The paper concludes that our recusant members of the Executive Arm of Government must begin to conduct themselves with decorum so as to show their respect to the rule of law. Moreover, all anti-people and draconian laws must be repealed.