Thomas Hobbes’ Political Theory and Lessons on Nigeria’s Democracy in the 4th Republic

The study investigated Thomas Hobbes' political theory and lessons on Nigerian democracy in the 4th Republic. Almost every form of government claims to be democratic, even when critics say that such a claim is not credible. Thomas Hobbes, one of the foremost social contract theorists, pointed out that humans’ pre-societal existence did not satisfy their ardent dreams, their fervent aspirations and their ultimate end, hence necessitating the emergence of the state and governance. The objectives of the study are to examine Hobbes’ political philosophy, analyse Hobbes’ Social Contract and Nigeria’s Democracy, critique the Nigerian democracy and lessons on Nigerian democracy in the 4th Republic. The Leviathan theory, propounded by Thomas Hobbes, was adopted as the theoretical framework. Secondary source of data was deployed for the study; it involves the collection of data from textbooks, journals and articles, etc. The study found that Nigeria has degenerated to what can be likened to the Hobbesian state of nature, where life is poor, nasty, brutish and short; a state characterized by immorality, corruption, lawlessness, anarchy, as well as war of all against all. The study also discovered that, social contract of Hobbes, which entails common good and strong leadership, does not reflect in the Nigerian democratic system. The study recommends that Unity, Justice through Virtue and education should be the order of the day in our societies, especially the Nigerian society that is characterized by inequality, disunity, corruption, ethnicity, etc. Again, the state should address the problem of leadership; thus, political leaders must earn this legitimacy through transparency, accountability, and fulfilling their obligations to the people.