Abstract
Nigeria’s democratic experience presents a striking contrast between constitutional ideals and lived political realities. While democracy is expected to guarantee fairness, equal participation, and just distribution of social goods, the Nigerian context continues to reflect persistent inequality, weak institutional accountability, electoral disputes, and elite dominance in governance. These contradictions raise fundamental concerns about whether democracy in practice aligns with its philosophical justification as a system rooted in justice. This paper asks a central question: can Nigerian democracy be truly described as fair when examined through John Rawls’ idea of justice as fairness? Using analytic method, the findings showed that although Nigeria has democratic structures such as elections, courts, and representative institutions, fairness is not evenly experienced. Political influence, wealth, and connections often shape access to opportunities more than merit or equal rights. Elections are sometimes disputed, public resources are unevenly shared, and many communities still struggle with basic needs despite national wealth. These realities reveal a clear gap between democratic ideals and actual outcomes. The paper concludes that Nigerian democracy is still developing and has not fully achieved the standard of justice as fairness. It recommends stronger accountability in governance, more transparent elections, fairer distribution of national resources, and policies that reduce inequality across regions and social groups.