Philippine E-Journals

Political Onanism and Scepticism in a Democratic Country

Benson O. Igboin

Discipline: Philosophy, Social Science, Political Science

 

Abstract:

For the first time in her political history, Nigeria is celebrating the longest period of civil rule. Nigeria has been ruled in the greater part of her history since Independence in 1960 by the Military. Thus, between 1999 and 2010, there had been a consistent, uninterrupted practice of civil rule. It is opined that in spite of this decade of civil rule, Nigeria is still not a democratic society but a democratizing one. This paper argues that political Onanism – the withdrawal of seminal force or elixir at strategic time in the attempt at democratizing, which is widespread, results from the inveterate contradictions and absurdities, which impact on the moral credibility of the democratization of the country’s political system. Through the gristmill of Onanism, an ethico-political framework, the paper conceptualizes the thrust of the arguments that political skeptics and sit-tight political office-holders are Onanists, however, on different reasoning. It, therefore, concludes that unless and until there is conscious and deliberate paradigm shift on the part of the government to entrench the minimum standards of democracy, and the political skeptics also suspend their ‘suspended judgment’ the year 2011 would portend internecine reactions, which will continue to enervate the polity.