Democracy and governance: a revisitational discourse

The concepts of democracy and governance have come to occupy a more “prominent position in the discourse of national and international development”. They have become key notions in which “citizens can have a more active role” which should enhance their positive view of the “increase legitimacy of the state”. As a matter of fact, both concepts are inseparable from the existential characteristics of all political animals all over the world. They continue to determine the “democratic political arrangement” and, dictate the landscapes and operational nerves of all civilized democratic polities in today's ICT-driven world particularly in terms of the functional performance of the horizontal organs of government which have increasingly gained prominence vis-à-vis public policy and responsive service delivery.

One of the critical components/units of these horizontal organs – [Executive, Legislature and Judiciary] - is the Legislature. The Legislature and its functionaries - the Legislators constitute a cardinal part of the major pillars of the governance process in the democratic political systems of today's world, Nigeria inclusive.

Against this background, this paper in a revisitational manner deals with the discourses of these concepts. In the process it highlights their theoretical underpinnings in ways they can be easily discerned for today's governance process and the democratic aspects and landscapes of most nations of the world vis-à-vis the existential wherewithal of the citizens.