ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to evaluate political participation and democratic consolidation in Nigeria with a particular reference to Enugu State. Three objectives and three research questions were formulated to guide the research. The study adopted thematic format in its literature review. The theoretical framework used was structural functionalism and research design used in the study was expos facto design and content analysis was used to evaluate the topic under discussion in line with each objectives. After the analysis the study was able to discover among other things that, the engagement of citizens in public affairs is the benchmark of the liberal democratic system. The availability of participation opportunities and the concomitant enabling process and institutional pre-requisites, allied with positive political orientations to the political system, make it possible for citizens to choose their leaders at elections and also influence the public policy process, and ultimately, the longevity of the democratic system of government. Based on the above findings, the study recommends among other things that, strong political mobilization can help in debasing the overall strategic framework of Primitive Accumulation of Votes (PAV) otherwise known as rigging.

Keywords: political participation, political culture and political consolidation