THE ISLAMIC SHURA SYSTEM AND THE WESTERN DEMOCRATIC PROCESS GOOD GOVERNANCE AND CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP
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Date
2018-10
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Abstract
It is an uncontroverted fact that the concept of leadership continues to change. Times were, when it was
all about ‘leaders are born’. A position premised on the fact that there are traits that marked a leader,
and that these are hereditary. Scholars have argued that hereditary traits alone cannot produce good
leaders. While some argue in favour of charisma as a basic determinant of leadership, others view style,
skills, knowledge and competence as critical components of leadership. Complementing these thoughts,
this paper posits that aside the above mentioned determinants, the process through which a leader is
selected or elected remains critical in determining the quality of leadership. Anchoring on this position,
the paper therefore examines the modus operandi of the Islamic Shura system of selecting leaders vise-
visa the Western democratic process of electing leaders. To achieve this, the paper adopts the use of the
secondary data and literatures from journals, textbooks, other literary materials relevant to the subject
matter; and personal observation. Based on its findings, the paper concludes that producing a good
leader is a function of the process of election or selection among other determinants, and that the
process remains critical. Among other recommendation the paper suggests that, though most modern
democracies are secular, the Islamic Shura system of selecting leaders, if synergized with the Western
Democratic process of electing leaders, will produce better, morally upright and selfless leaders,
needed to challenge the ills in the society, while in the same token, produces good governance