Ernest Toochi Aniche is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Federal University Otuoke, Nigeria.Toyin Falola is the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair Professor in the Humanities and a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.

• Notes on contributorsIntroduction: governance and leadership institutions in NigeriaErnest Toochi Aniche and Toyin FalolaPART I: Nigerian traditional leadership institutions 1 Traditional Ondo monarchs and communication in the Yoruba pre-colonial eraSOLOMON A. FAWEHINMI2 Age grade system among the Ìdό-Àní people of South-West Nigeria OLUWATOYIN MARY O̩ LAIYA3 Revisiting the relevance of the Islamic political system in 21st-century NigeriaSIRAJO MUHAMMAD SOKOTO4 Institution of masking and masquerading in traditional Igbo society CHINYERE NDUBUISI5 The musical and cultural leadership roles of Yoruba master instrumentsOLUPEMI E. OLUDAREPART II: Modern democratic governance institutions in Nigeria6 A critique of leadership and institutions in Nigeria and new statesAYODELE OLALEKAN SHOTUNDE7 Elites and leadership standards in post-independence NigeriaMOSES ADEBOLU ADETUNMBI8 Translating political philosophy into action in Nigeria’s governance institutionsJOSEPHINE OLATOMI SOBOYEJO9 A literary characterization of politics and power in the post-colonyOLIVIER TCHOUAFFE10 Art and leadership failure in Nigeria: global influences and the way forwardAKINWALE ONIPEDEPART III: Democratic institutions and processes in Nigeria’s fourth republic11 Emerging democratic practices in NigeriaTOYIN FALOLA12 Poverty and democracy in Nigeria’s fourth republicOYEKUNLE O. ADEGBOYEGA13 Citizenship, participation, and inclusion of women in Nigeria’s democracyABIDEMI ABIOLA ISOLA14 Judicial institutions, human rights, and development challenges: implication for Nigerian democracyERNEST TOOCHI ANICHE, RICHARD OKECHUKWU OJI, AND IKENNA MIKE ALUMONA15 Political parties, independent national electoral commission and electoral credibility in NigeriaOLAJUMOKE YACOB- HALISO AND VICTOR ADESIYAN16 Electoral reforms and Nigeria’s fledging democracyMARTIN A. IHEMBE AND ONYEKACHI E. NNABUIHEIndex