Bridging the Gap: Public Sphere Perception and Communication Challenges Between Nigerian Legislators and Citizens

Abstract

This study explores the persistent communication deficit between elected legislators in Nigeria’s National Assembly and the citizens they represent, with a particular focus on how this disconnection plays out in the public sphere. Despite the central role of the legislature in democratic governance, public sentiment in Nigeria has remained largely critical of its performance, transparency, and legitimacy. Drawing on three theoretical frameworks—Democratic-Participant Media Theory, Spiral of Silence Theory, and Habermas’ theory of the Public Sphere—this paper investigates how political communication, or its absence, influences public opinion and institutional credibility. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines content analysis of fifty media texts (editorials, journal articles, opinion columns, and blog entries) with semi-structured interviews involving legislators, parliamentary aides, and retired clerks. Findings from the media analysis reveal a predominantly negative framing of the legislature, with 64% of sampled texts expressing critical or disapproving views. The interview responses reinforce this pattern, identifying a combination of representational confusion, communicative failure, and public disillusionment as major drivers of mistrust. The study concludes that communication is not merely an adjunct to legislative performance but is itself a constitutive element of democratic legitimacy. Strategic engagement through constituency consultations, digital platforms, media partnerships, and open-parliament initiatives could mitigate the existing trust deficit. Moreover, a rethinking of candidate selection processes and legislative capacity development is essential to building a professionalized, communicatively competent legislative culture. In sum, this paper argues that democracy in Nigeria will remain fragile unless elected representatives reimagine communication not as image control but as sustained, meaningful dialogue with the electorate. The public sphere, after all, is not just where opinions are voiced—it is where legitimacy is earned or lost.