ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My unalloyed appreciation goes to Almighty Allah for his guidance over nme

throughout the course of my studies, may His name be praised both now and

forever Amin.

I wish to express ny profound gratitude to my supervisor, Mr Emeje Abubakar for

this valuable suggestions towards the success of my research project.

My thanks goes to the Head of Department in the person of Dr. Anthony Idoko

Okpanachi for his dynamic leadership, tolerance and fatherly pieces of advice To

all my departmental lecturers, Pro .A.C. Obi, Dr. Amos Ichaba, Dr. Alh. Usman

Salaudeen „Mr.Cornelius Gbenga Fasiku, Mr.0.S. Abdul, Mr.0.S

Abdul, Mr.Abubakar Yakubu Emeje,Mr.David Bunmi and Mrs Peace Yakubu

Godsman, thank you for all your academic support.

To my parents, Mr. Adam Yahaya and Mrs. Rukaiya Adam, thanks for all your

financial, spiritual and moral support. To my beloved siblings, Summaiya,

Abdulsalam and Muhammad Adam, God bless you all, Amin .

To my friends, Abdulrasheed Salisu, and Haruna Mariam, May Almighty God

reward all of you, Amen.

Title page.

Declaration..

Certification...

Dedication..

Acknowledgements.

Table of content...

Abstract.

CHAPTER ONE: 1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study.

TABLE OF CONTENT

1.2 Statement of the Problem..

13 Aim and Objectives of the Study.

1.4 Scope and the Limitations of the Study..

1.5 Significance of the Study.

1.6 Research Method

L.7 Organization of the Study.

CHAPTER TWO2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE: 3.0 MEANING OF POLITICAL POWER IN JOHN

LOCKE

3.1 Division of Political Powers.

3.1.1 Legislative power.

3.1.2 Executive power.

3.1.3 Federative power.

3.2 The Birth of Political society.

3.3 The Birth of Political Power..

CHAPTER FOUR: 4.0 ABUSE OF POWER IN NIGERIA

4.1 Craze for power.

4.2 Despotic Rule in Nigeria.

4.3 Who Becomes the leader ?.

CHAPTER FIVE 5:0 EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Evaluation
52 Conciusion.

Work's Cited
Abstract

Nigerian form and practice of democracy is very faulty, ranging from the

foundation to the very level of the actual practice of democracy. Most political

office holders in Nigeria arrive at the corridors of power through avenues devoid of

generally accepted standard of democratic principle, it is in Nigeria that one gets to

hear and see that power is actually taken and not given as is provided by the

principles of demo cracy. John Locke in his political theory presented consent as

the bedrock of democracy and went further to outline the aims of civil government.

Consequently, any civil government that deviates from the provisions of the social

contract theory stands the risk of dissolution. From the foregoing, the reverse is the

case in the Nigerian socio-political space. This work makes use of analytical

method in philosophy to investigate the shortcomings in the characteristics of

democracy being practiced in Nigeria, it would analyze John Locke's concept of

the state placing it in line with current trends in the Nigerian political scene. The

researcher discovered that what is practiced in Nigeria falls short, far below

standard of what is generally known and practiced worldwide as democracy which

by implication is the "government of the people, by the people and for the people,

viewing it through the lens and window of Locke an provision. Finally, this paper

concludes that Nigeria politicians and office holders should eschevw selfishness and

pursue that which would contribute positively to the commonwealth. Democracy is

people/masses oriented. Once a nation misses this target, the glory of that nation

automatically starts corroding and subsequently fades away, and the result is seen

in the gross suffering of the citizens.