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Abstract

In the history of mankind, every society has worked hard to bring about the best form of 
government that will help in bringing about the needed development, happiness and 
human flourishing; hence, varied forms of government such as monarchy, theocracy, 
aristocracy, autocracy and democracy have all been practiced at one time or the other by 
different societies. In modern times, the most desired form of government which has been 
adopted by different countries is democracy. It is very popular because it is fundamentally 
based on the principles of freedom and equality. These principles are metaphysical 
human values which the human spirit desires for flourishing and fulfillment in life. 
Contrariwise, other forms of government can bring about economic, technological and 
infrastructural developments but cannot guarantee freedom and equality for all in the 
society.  Worthy of note is the fact that democracy cannot bring about the needed values 
the people desire when its basic principles are not strictly followed. This is the case with 
Nigeria, where democracy is being practiced in theory but in actual fact totalitarian 
democracy which is characterized by expediency, transaction, thuggery, vote buying, a 
win it by all means syndrome, and a Machiavellian pragmatic politics that leaves less to 
be desired. Hence, this paper argues that Nigeria's form of democracy is dysfunctional 
and has failed in meeting up with the desires of Nigerians and there is an urgent need for a 
change to a new form of government which this paper calls Ohacracy. Ohacracy is a 
participatory and egalitarian form of government in Igbo political administration. 
Ohacracy will be based on the Igbo town union governance structure. The critical 
analytic method of philosophy was used in this paper.

Keywords Democracy, Ohacracy, Electoral Violence, Dysfunctional Democracy, 
Nigeria

Introduction
         The fundamental goals of every society are the happiness of its citizens, the internal 
wellbeing of the society and its development. These goals cannot be achieved without a 

EXPLORING AN ALTERNATIVE TO NIGERIA'S 
DYSFUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACY

EZE, CHIMA FIDELIS
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA ENUGU STATE
&

ANTHONY CHUKWUDI AREJI, PH.D
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA ENUGU STATE
&

JETTY JOE ODEY
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA ENUGU STATE



132

government that is formed and sustained by the people. By implication, a representative 
democratic government which is formed on the basis of merit, capacity, and competence 
of its leaders rather than on the basis of ethnicity, religion and elitists whims and caprices. 
It should be a government that is responsive to the plights and challenges of the citizens of 
the state rather than a passive, reactionary and non-proactive government. A type of 
government that can bring about the human flourishing of its citizens must be a 
government that can be held accountable by a strong civil society and the general 
populace and not one that gags the press which is the fourth estate realm of the society. It 
should be a government that promotes strong and independent state institutions rather 
than a government that specializes in the destruction, weakening and capturing of state 
institutions. It should be a government that promotes the rule of law rather than the laws of 
strong men. It should be a government that promotes judicial independence and its 
efficiency. Unfortunately, Nigerian democratic government is only famous for all the bad 
things that work against the will and the common good of the people which democracy 
stands for and this has been the basic reasons for the monumental failure of democracy in 
Nigeria.
          It is on the basis of this that Ohacracy which is an egalitarian and participatory 
political form of government of the Igbo people comes in as an alternative form of 
government to the Nigerian form of democracy. Ohacracy promotes consensus among 
members, mutual respect, dialogue, accountability, transparency, justice, peace, 
brotherhood, equity, fair play, oneness, love, and unity. These are ethical values and 
principles that are conspicuously absent in Nigerian democratic system.

Conceptualization of Democracy
          The idea of democracy is one that has varied definitions and as such different 
political theorists in ancient and contemporary time have provided different definitions 
and descriptions of the concept in order to capture the essence of the concept democracy. 
One of the most popular definitions of the concept democracy is the one given by the 
former great American President, Abraham Lincoln, on November 19th, 1863 
“Gettysburg Address”. He defines democracy as the “government of the people, by the 
people and for the people” Richard A. Epstein, p. 819. 
          Kolawole (2004) holds that democracy is not the lack of military rule nor is 
essentially the presence of civilian officers; rather it is the state of affairs whereby 
political actors and institutions of state are equipped with values and norms of democracy. 
It is on this note that the impact of democracy has seep into all the aspects of society and 
governance p. 49-60.   According to Franceschet, democracy is characterized by three 
fundamental necessities absence of violence, political participation and control, and 
equality in the political sphere (Franceschet, 2009). 
       Diamond et al. 1990 define democracy as a form of government 

that meets three essential conditions meaningful and extensive 
competition among individual and groups, especially political parties, for 
all effective positions of government power, at regular intervals and 
excluding the use of force, a highly inclusive level of political 
participation in the selection of leaders and policies, at least through 
regular and fair election, such that no major (adult) social group is 

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excluded; and a level of civil and political liberties; freedom of 
expression, freedom of the press, freedom to form and join organizations-
sufficient to ensure the integrity of political competition and participation 
(p. 6-7).

        Fundamentally, democracy is a system that aids public participation and basic 
human rights. For Baron de Montesquieu, democracy is a form of government by which 
the people are the sovereign and should have the power of choosing their senators, 
ministers as well as their judges. Furthermore, suffrage and voting laws are very essential 
Montesquieu, p. 53. According to Appodorai, democracy is the system either of 
government under which the people put into effect governmental power directly or 
indirectly via representatives elected by them (Appodorai, 1975).     In arguing against 
this view, Schumpeter made a rare polemical attack on the latent implications of the 
eighteenth century definition of democracy which avers that “The democratic method is 
that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions which realizes the 
common good by making the people itself decide issues through the election of 
individuals who are to assemble in order to carry out its will”Schumpeter, p. 260. 
According to Schumpeter, this definition makes certain untenable assumptions: first, that 
there is a known “common good” that we all agree on which delimits good and bad. 
Schumpeter argues that there do not exist a common good that all can be brought to see 
through rational argument. Even those with good intentions can disagree on what is best 
for society. Second, even if we could agree on a common good (ends), we would be unable 
to agree on the means. “'Health' might be desired by all, yet people would still disagree on 
vaccination and vasectomy”Schumpeter, p. 252. Third, those using this definition tended 
to come from a utilitarian perspective, such that the common good is that which is best for 
each individual. However, this view does not allow the people to express its will about the 
common good, but rather makes an assumption about what form that “will” should 
“naturally” take. 

          In the second part of Schumpeter's arguments, he avers that letting go of the 
assumption of utilitarianism as the common good requires assuming that each citizen is 
independently rational, able to sort good facts from misleading impressions, and 
swiftly/exactly form opinions. The value set of every citizen would be fully formed, not a 
sheer set of “vague impulses.” In such a society, one person's opinion would be just as 
good as another's. Government by the people is not necessarily better at being 
government for the people than other forms of governance can be. Having rejected the 
eighteen century definition of democracy, Schumpeter went ahead to give his Procedural 
Theory of democracy. According to Schumpeter in Part I of his effort to define his type of 
democracy pointed out clearly that in classical theory each citizen has a rational opinion 
about every issue. Each citizen votes for a representative to carry out his opinion. 
Consequently, choosing a representative is “secondary.” Schumpeter's new theory 
reverses these roles: “The democratic method is that institutional arrangement for 
arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means 
of a competitive struggle for the people's vote”Schumpeter, p. 269.  

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History of Democracy in Nigeria
         Democratic practice began formally in Nigeria in 1960 immediately after the 
independence of Nigeria. However, this democratic experience was cut short by the 
military coup that took place in 1966 and afterward civil war broke in 1967 and came to an 
end in 1970. The next opportunity for Nigerians to experience democratic government 
was in 1979. Unfortunately, in four years time the military struck again in 1983. The 
military rule was sustained till 1993 when there was an interim government that was 
meant to lead to a proper democratic government; after that a fatal cancellation of the 
democratic election that took place in 1993 happened. This time around the military took 
over power till 1993 when Nigeria transitioned from military rule to a democratic 
government. The current Nigerian constitution came into formal use at the beginning of 

th
the 4  republic democratic rule in 1999 Adelekan and Ashibi, 2020, p. 262. For twenty 
four years of continued democratic practice in Nigeria, from 1999 till date what are the 
significant impacts Has the democratic government brought about happiness, internal 
wellbeing, and needed development Can Nigeria be properly rated as successful 
democratic country An attempt will be made in the next paragraph to examine Nigerian 
brand of democracy and its failures so far.

Nigeria's Dysfunctional Brand of Democracy  
         The concept democracy has universal meaning and idea because it is founded 
fundamentally on the principles of freedom and equality but it is particular to every 
country that practices it due to their own peculiarities. This can be seen in terms of how 
political power is achieved and public institutions function. On this note, there are 
different forms of qualifications of each country's form of democracy such as Portuguese 
democracy, American democracy, French democracy, German Democracy, South 
African Democracy; Etc. Nigeria also has its form of democracy which is founded on 
religious and ethnic politics; incompetent and squanderer leadership; electoral fraud; and 
severe poverty and high level illiteracy Ajayi and Ojo, 2014, p. 107. 
         Some of these social ills have been responsible for the failure in our democratic 
system, for instance, corruption. Nigeria is one of the major countries in the world where 
politics is more profitable than private sector businesses. Hence, this, accounts for the 
rationale behind unhindered corruption that has become a dominating business in 
Nigeria's political system. It is a serious contribution to the failure of democracy in 
Nigeria.  
         Apart from corruption which is a major cause of democratic failure in Nigeria, 
electoral fraud and violence are contributing factors as well.  For a democratic 
government to do well the process that brings political officers into power has to be good 
if not excellent. In other words, every democratic government is as good as the processes 
that brought it into power. In Nigeria, elections have been marred by serious election 
violence over time limiting the country from producing credible leaders. According to 
Enojo (2010) electoral violence has been part of Nigerian democratic process since 
independence (p. 89). Anifowose and Babawale (2003) aver that the 2003 general 
elections were rigged by the influential people in power (p. 64). Rawlence and Albin-
Lacey (2007) depict Nigerian elections  as stolen 'rights' based on the fact that they were 
marred by bizarre show of rigging and bullying of voters in  several areas around the 

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country(p. 1-2). The situation was not better in 2023.
         Describing the 2023 general elections, the renowned author Chimamanda Adichie 
2023 calls it in her open letter, Nigeria's Hollow Democracy. In this letter to President Joe 
Biden of the United States of America, she described how electoral fraud and violence 
marred the 2023 general elections and asked Mr. Biden not to congratulate the president 
elect because if he does he would be validating the criminality termed free and fair 

thelections that were held on the 25  of February 2023 Adichie. 

          To further explore the success or failure of Nigerian democratic system of 
government one has to evaluate the country's democratic practices based on the principles 
of equality and freedom. John Rawls' principle of equality clearly describes equality 
appropriately when he asserts that each person is to have an equal right to the most 
extensive scheme of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar scheme of liberties for 
othersJohn Rawls, 1971, p. 52.  It is correct to emphasize that there is no country in the 
world where democracy is practiced that its citizens are literally equal, but one thing is 
clear, in serious democracies like the United States of America, equality before the law is 
taken seriously.  For instance, the former President Donald J. Trump indictment on a 34 
felony charge and subsequent trial shows that no one is above the law in the United States 
of America Jonah, Protess, et al., 2023. This kind of thing cannot happen in Nigeria. In 
Nigeria, the principle of egalitarianism is more theoretical and less practical and this can 
be seen in the monumental and dangerously disastrous socio-economic and political 
inequality that characterizes Nigerian form of democracy. This has led to an astronomical 
huge gap between those who have access to power and public funds and those who do not. 
Since democracy is said to be government of the people by the people and for the people, 
it is therefore generally assumed that democracy is the most suitable form of government 
Ajayi and Ojo, 2014.
         This is based on the fact that it is not just a form of government that seeks to bring 
about the attainment of the will and common good of the people but it is the form of 
government that promises the achievement of the intangible and metaphysical values the 
human spirit desires in order for man to express, develop and be whatever he thinks or 
imagines is possible within the ambit of the law. These values are freedom and equality. 

While this may be so in some democracies, the reverse is the case in 
others: while democracy is synonymous with holistic development and 
aggregated growth in some climes; it is the representation of betrayal and 
inhuman deprivation in others. Nigeria probably personifies the latter. 
While some countries aspire to and do indeed practise democracy for the 
socio-economic benefit of the generality of the people or at least as many 
people as possible; others, like Nigeria, make their own brand of 
democracy government of the few by the few and for the socio-economic 
benefit of the few. Indeed, the most outstanding feature of Nigerian 
democracy is mind boggling and unpardonable waste of public funds on 
the comfort of a few Nigerians. The democracy of waste practised in 
Nigeria invests, first and foremost, in the comfort of officials rather than in 
human and material resources Ajayi and Ojo, 2014.
 

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       This accounts for the widening gap between the rich and the poor in Nigeria. The 
inequality gap is made worse due to the government failure to provide functional 
infrastructures, efficient healthcare system, functional educational sector, healthy 
economic sector, efficient and proactive security architecture and functional and 
independent public institutions. According to Ngozi et al. 2020, Nigeria still lags behind 
in development indices such as poverty reduction, employment generation, effective 
healthcare delivery and level of corruptionp. 72.  The fact is that, the politicians and top 
ranking public servants who have access to public funds embezzle the general wealth of 
the nation which is meant to develop the country for the benefit of all rather than the 
benefit of the few rich ones Odey, et al 2022, p.7. They steal so much public fund to the 
extent that they weaponize poverty in the citizens in order to keep the poor people 
perpetually poor for their selfish gains which include depriving them the opportunity to 
hold public offices and for them to be used for all criminal activities such as election 
violence and rigging.

        On the principle of freedom which is foundational to democracy, top democratic 
countries that practice democracy in its truest sense, take human freedom seriously 
alongside the responsibility that goes with it. People have what in the Nigerian 
constitution is referred to as fundamental human rights which includes the right to life, 
dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, private and family life, 
freedom of expression, and free press, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, 
freedom of movement, peaceful assembly and association, freedom from discrimination, 
right to acquire and own immovable property Constitution of the Federal Republic of 
Nigeria, 1999, Chapter IV, 33-40 and others. 

       These fundamental human rights pointed out above demonstrate clearly the 
principles of equality and freedom but these human rights cannot be implemented if the 
rule of law is not put into full operation in Nigeria. The question is, is the rule of law fully 
operational in Nigerian democratic system The answer is no. The reason is because, since 
the rule of law which is meant to maintain the observance of the principles of equality and 
freedom is not fully operational in the country where injustice and violation of the 
fundamental human rights have been made to reign supreme. This, clearly demonstrates 
that Nigerian brand of democracy is dysfunctional and has failed. Hence, there is urgent 
need for an alternative model or system of government which should be a participatory 
Igbo political model of government referred to as Ohacracy. 

Ohacracy as an alternative model of Government and Leadership
        The social political system of government of the Igbo people which is deeply rooted 
in their culture, sustained by their customs, norms, values and language is termed as 
Ohacracy. Ohacracy is people oriented government whereby power belongs to the 
people and the people are the sovereign.  Ohacracy as defined by Iroegbu is the practical 
conception of societal order and governance in which the communities determine the 
praxis of the socio-political life of the people while taking into account basic individual 
and group peculiarities (Iroegbu, 1997).

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         By this definition, Ohacracy is an active participation of all responsible Igbo 
persons in the polity which promotes the common good and the common goal in their 
existential life so that they can define and establish themselves and stand out as human in 
the society. Ohacracy is expressed as a process by which the collective will of the people 
determines their existence in the community. This form of government has the feature of 
the spirit of belongingness which is founded on African communalism; hence, there is 
need for a brief description of belongingness in order to deepen the meaning of Ohacracy 
as an Igbo political system of government. 

        The concept of belongingness is fundamental in the understanding of African 
communalism. It is a theory of justice that promotes the active role of the community and 
the individual in the society. As Ejenam, S. 2007 avers, belongingness is a principle of 
membership applied to a given political community. It is what moulds a community's 
cultural, historical, and traditional values (p. 391).  Iroegbu asserts that it is both a 
terminus ad quo and a terminus ad quem. This means that it is very fundamental such that 
we cannot speak of social justice in Africa without it. Belongingness makes all members 
real and participating members of the community. It gives all a sense of 
belongingOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 95.  As a matter of fact, there is nothing that exists 
that is not part of reality, which by implication belongs to something or a particular reality. 
We are part of a group in order to be able to offer our own quota to the common good of all. 
Without this act of belonging particularly in a political community there will be no 
participation. Belongingness, however, outshines these existential facts of every 
communal function. This idea of belongingness is obvious in John Donne's poem: No 
man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the 
main….any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore 
never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for theeOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 95.
       Onebunne and Alike 2017 aver that Belongingness is, therefore, a fundamental 
quality in understanding whatever is. Nothing can be understood in terms of its 
completeness but in its political relation to other realities, defining itself through other 
beings. Everything is defined by a relation, that is, a thing or being is in relation to 
something, or with an attribute of engaging in somethingp. 95. Consequently, our identity 
lies in belonging to a group. Belongingness identifies realities as such. Our nature is in 
belonging. Its role is in belonging. Its mode and operations are in belonging. 
Belongingness, as such, is the ontological value of living. By belongingness, being is 
related to other beings by relationship of what it is or doesOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 96.

The Political Value of Ohacracy
        Ohacracy is characterized by belongingness and belongingness is founded in 
African communalism. And in African communalism everyone carries out actions that 
are tantamount to favouring everyone in the community. It is based on African 
communalism that the leadership model of Ohacracy is derived. Ohacracy works based 
on the customs, culture and values of the Igbo people. Igbo culture like any other African 
culture is full of symbols and symbolism. For instance, Ofo in Igbo culture is the symbol 
of authority, and it plays major roles in Ohacracy. Ofo does not only symbolize authority, 
it does symbolize truthfulness as well. Hence, anyone who upholds Ofo should as a matter 

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of necessity and duty promote justice at all times. Alike avers that 
Symbolism derives its power from the fact that it speaks not only of 
reflective intelligence but to the entire human psyche. It arouses deep 
emotional experience, releases hidden energies in the soul, gives meaning 
and stability to the personality, establishes strong loyalties and disposes a 
man for consistent and committed actions. Symbols in Igbo land can be 
seen in Igba-afa (divination), morning kola ritual, Ichiozo (title taking), 
bride price ceremony, masquerade ceremonies, etc. Alike, 2016).

       It is based on this importance of symbol that Njoku 2009 holds that Ofo is an 
authoritative emblem symbolizing justice, righteousness, and truth p. 37. Also, Ohacracy 
is a form of government of the people that is known for consensus for the good of 
everybody, which is embedded in unity, love and progress therefore “Igwe-bu-ike,” 
meaning unity is strength Onebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 97. This can also be seen in the 
work “Njiko ka mma” meaning staying together is better than being alone which is the 
theory of communalism as wellOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 98.
       Ohacracy is also characterized by promoting integrity and as such it is made up of 
people with proven integrity. It consists of representatives from every family, kindred or 
even village as far as the person is a man of honour, of good reputation, peace loving, 
articulate and clever. This makes representatives to be trust worthy to do their work. This 
is complete opposite of what obtains in the western form of democracy practiced in 
Nigeria whereby their representatives do not have the moral will to serve. Most of them 
lack the interiority and competence to function efficiently.
       Ohacracy is a leadership model that promotes servant leadership style. That is, a 
bottom to the top leadership approach that makes everyone to consider themselves as 
servants and not leaders who are in government of their own people to serve the same 
people. In Ohacracy, the Igbo people hold that spirit beings such as Chi- Ukwu (Supreme 
God), Alusi (Deity), Earth goddess -Ala play outstanding roles as well. They function in 
the order of hierarchy in order to assist human beings or men in the community to attain 
their goals individually and collectively particularly in bringing about peace when there 
are challenges and disagreements in the societyOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 98. Ohacracy 
as a leadership model promotes equal rights, respect of views of other people and 
encourages active participation of the people. This means it allows for collective 
participation whereby everyone freely and willingly participate in the decision making 
process and work as a team in order to attain a common goal for both themselves and the 
larger community.

       As regards transparency, sustainability and accountability, Ohacracy is sustainable 
based on norms, morals, and laws of the land. All the members or representatives as a 
matter of obligation and duty are meant to obey the laws of the land and this determines 
who can be part of the Ohacracy government. Furthermore, Ohacracy is founded on 
justice for all and sundry. The word for justice in Igbo is Nkedirionye which is giving one 
his or her due. The Igbo concept of justice holds that in Egbe bere Ugo bere, nke si ibeya 
ebena, nku kwaa ya. This means let the Kite perch, and eagle perch, any that says let the 
other not perch, let its wing go into piecesOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 98. Ohacracy is an 

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Igbo social political form of government and leadership model which is an integral part of 
the Igbo culture and as such it is sustained using the Igbo language.    The Igbo language is 
the fundamental means of communication and expressing themselves, and as such they 
define their culture through their language. Onebunne and Alike 2016 support this view 
when they assert that language is culture specific and culture dependent that has social 
relevance. It facilitates inter-personal relationship in the community, it is spoken and that 
is why it is part of man, culture and the community in which he finds himself(p.3). 
       Based on the characteristics of unity, brotherhood, consensus and communal life of 
belongingness possessed by Ohacracy as a system of government it is ranked high above 
Nigeria's brand of dysfunctional democracy because it is the most sincere and incorrupt 
form of participatory governmentOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 99.  

        Furthermore, it promotes transparency and accountability. The selection processes 
of representatives in the government is based on character, competence and capacity of 
the individual and at any point the individual deviates from these ethics of good conducts 
that were considered before his selection, the person will immediately be withdrawn from 
the government.    Based on this, members are committed, hardworking, principled and 
proactive in doing their jobs to avoid disgrace and expulsion. This is unlike the Nigerian 
Democratic Party primary processes of electing members that will represent the party. 
The later is transactional and after the contestants buy their way into becoming candidates 
of their parties they disarm the members from holding them accountable Adelekan  and 
Ashibi, 2020. For this reason, Ohacracy is the best form of government that Nigeria needs 
to make efforts to adopt at this critical time in Nigeria's history since Nigeria's form of 
democracy is dysfunctional and has failed in every aspect of human life. 

       However, since Ohacracy was predominantly practiced in an era in traditional Igbo 
culture when population size was much less and the society was not as complex as it is 
now, it will be challenging to practice it completely as it was practiced then. For this 
reason, there is need for Ohacracy to adopt the current Igbo town union governance 
structures that are efficiently working in dealing with social and economic inequalities 
and infrastructural deficits in Igbo towns and communities. Put differently, 
notwithstanding the great qualities of Ohacracy, its biggest challenge in this 
contemporary society is population growth and size. The society is now bigger than what 
it used to be in the traditional Igbo society and has become more complex due to cross-
cultural, political, religious, urbanization, migration, trade, and technological influences. 
It will be challenging to practice Ohacracy the way the Igbo people practiced it in 
traditional Igbo society. Consequently, there is need for it to be based on the modern town 
union governance structure in Igbo land. 
Town Union Governance Structure in Igbo Land 
       The town union government is a principal element in community and rural 
development. It is an instrument of self help approach to community development in the 
post-colonial epoch. Membership is by birth, marriage, parental origin or adoption 
Obiakor and Okoreaffia, 2021, p.370. People who have resided in a particular town for 10 
years or more and have accepted the norms and rules guiding the operation of the union 
and the town are eligible to become admitted into the union. This allows for inclusivity, 

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justice, participation, diversity, innovation, equity and farness. The union is a rational 
association of individuals who in spite of their class difference consider themselves as 
equals. The town union governance system is founded on the principles of the rule of law 
and not blinded by religious and ethnic sentiments.  The interest of the group is both 
mutual and broad based. Members help their fellow members and at the same time they 
focus on the big issues of bridging the gap between the government and the people by 
identifying areas of failures in governance by solving social and economic problems of 
the community and town Obiakor and Okoreaffia, 2021, p. 369. 
     They also aid in rallying the people of the town for meaningful development of the 
town as regards infrastructures. The governance structure of town unions in Igbo land 
allows for transparency, accountability, serious punitive measures to put erring members 
in check Obiakor and Okoreaffia, 2021, p. 370.  All these qualities which the Igbo town 
unions possess that make them effective rural and community development body in this 
contemporary era can help to fill in the gap of the laps of Ohacracy as an effective 
participatory governance model. 

Conclusion
        Ohacracy is a system of government organized in a systematic way by constituting 
membership of men of integrity, capacity and competence from families and kindred. It is 
maintained through the ethical values and norms of the society. It promotes high level of 
accountability from members. It is the most sincere, incorruptible and people centered 
participatory and representative form of government. Ohacracy is characteristically 
peaceful, secure and non-violent form of representative government that is more efficient 
and better than the current Nigeria's form of democracy that has failed in all indices of a 
developing country. On this note, Nigeria's dysfunctional form of democracy needs to be 
immediately replaced with Ohacracy. It is peaceful and stable form of government that 
promotes the principles of justice, equity, fair play, oneness, brotherhood, love and 
unityOnebunne & Alike, 2017, p. 98 which will ensure that it does not fail like the 
Nigeria's form of democracy that is bedeviled by all forms of evil. Nigeria's brand of 
democracy creates class distinction and disunity which results in all forms of injustice, 
however, Ohacracy gives an individual the capacity to be a vital part of the community as 
well as a part of the political community which makes it better than Nigeria's form of 
democracy. All these important values inherent in the practice of Ohacracy make it the 
best form of government for Nigeria at this critical moment in our history that is bedeviled 
by bad form of government and leadership. Put differently, Ohacracy as a form of 
government which is devoid of wrangling and all other forms of evil associated with 
political activities in Nigerian democratic space remains the best form of government for 
Nigeria if adopted. It will be practiced by adopting the current Igbo town union 
governance system which has been very efficient and effective in bringing about social 
and economic development in Igbo towns and communities. 

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                                            Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol 3 Issue 1, 2023
ISSN: 2786-9792

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