AN APPRAISAL OF ISLAMIC AND WESTERN DEMOCRACIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

It is saddening that Nigeria, since attainment of independence in 1960, has encountered several socio-political and economic imbalance compared with the situation in developed countries where government are stable. Recently, notable elites in Nigerian who know that the coins have two faces, particularly from the Northern part of the country are calling for the application of Islamic system of governance, which they considered ensure stability in governance. However, some antagonists are of the view that Islamic government is undemocratic, theocratic and cannot meet the secular nature of the Country. It is for these conflicts of ideas that this paper attempt to compare and contrast the democratic nature of Islamic government with the practice of democracy in the western world. This paper is historical and descriptive; it therefore adopts doctrinal approach. The paper employs the primary and secondary sources of information. The primary sources include the Glorious Qur’an, Hadith of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and also the Constitutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1960-1999 (as amended). The secondary sources include Journals, Textbooks, etc. The research discovered that the western democracies that began in England in 1642( 17\" century) derived their sources from Islamic democratic system -of governance practiced during the life fime of Prophet Muhammad 1439 year ago, and during the -., renaissance of Islamic democratic system of government under the four rightly guided Khulafah who were the Successors to Prophet Muhammad. This paper therefore concludes that Islamic system of governance is democratic and is applicable to secular society like Nigeria.