Chapter One

Introduction

1.1     Background Of The Study

Political participation refers to the direct or indirect involvement of the citizens of a country in the governance of their country. Political participation can be broadly divided into two, namely, conventional and unconventional political participation (Efemini 2013). Conventional political participation is concerned with one’s involvement in political campaign, public hearing, recall, referendum, running for public office, voting in elections etc. while unconventional political participation has to do with one’s involvement in public protests, civil disobedience, political debates, community development, strike action, etc. political participation being an important paradoxical and delicate political theory, obliges individuals to form and support a given government or the implementation of a given policy based on certain grounds. It also obliges the same people to dissolve any government or oppose the implementation of any policy based on certain grounds too (Almondand Verba, 2010). This work attempts to show that politicalparticipation is an agent that provokes or speeds up significant changeor action in development since it is only through conventional andunconventional political participation that one can influence thedecisions, policies and other activities of the government for the goodof the people. Without political participation, there can be nomeaningful development in any country. This truth is evident / obviousin most contemporary societies especially in Africa where manycountries are underdeveloped. This under-development in Somecountries are due to marginalization of the people from active politicalparticipation and sometime apathy on the side of the people towardspolitical participation as this makes the leaders to do whatever they likesince no one questions them. But with active political participation ofthe people, they will be able to demand for what is due to them in termsof development which will include both human and infrastructuraldevelopment. Where the government fails to provide development, it isstill through active political participation that the people will be able tochange such a bad government and replace it with a good one. Thischange can either come through voting such government out duringelection or by revolution. Arowolo and Aluko (2011) stated thatthrough political participation citizens form and support a given government or the implementation of any policy based on certain grounds. The purpose of participation of citizens in the policy makingarrangement is to create sense of belonging and awareness necessaryfor the sustainability of policy despite the nature of such policy,consolidate democracy and engender good governance.

The importance of political participation to national developmentcannot be overemphasized as thereany democratic society that does not encourage political participation.Emphasizing the need for political participation, Gauba (2008) arguedthat:

Since most people desire economic development and the physicalimprovement of their infrastructure and environments, responsive

Governmentwill be such that seeks and promotes economicdevelopment. On its own, good governance depicts the degree to which institutions of a particular country (such as executive, legislature or judiciary) and process (such as the role of political parties in election) are transparent, accountable to the people and allow them to freely participate in decisions that affect their lives (Omoregbe, 2009).

This is simply because good governance must indeed democratize the process of decision making in a way to guarantee the involvement of the groups for which decisions are being made. For example, wealthy creation programme can only be potent and sustainable only if the affected group is involved at all levels of decision making process.

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