The Federal Character Principle and Political Exclusion of Southeast Nigeria, 2015–2019

Abstract

The incidence of political exclusion in the world has continued to increase among different ethnic groups, and this has continued to generate tension. However, in Nigeria, the inception of the current democratic dispensation in 2015 led to the politics of exclusion in sheds of opinions of individuals whose contributions are required for the development of the country and in political appointments of people from particular religious and ethnic groups. Though the federal character principle of affirmative action has received reasonable scholarly attention, these studies have failed to examine how non-adherence to this policy initiative has increased the marginalization of the Southeast zone of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019. Based on the expository strength of the social exclusion theory and through a rigorous content analysis of data collected using the documentary method, it was argued that the non-implementation of this principle increased the marginalization of the southeast zone. Tables and figures validated these results in our analysis. Thus, emphasis is not only placed on affirmative action but rather on the manner in which it is performed. Our thought for policy implications considered the urgent need to review extant laws and policies enacted on inclusiveness, focusing on the yearly release of data by the commission across the country and effective sanctions for defaulters.