Democracy in Nigeria
CAN NIGERIA 'S NASCENT DEMOCRACY SURVIVE?
BY
Emmanuel 0. Ojo (Ph.D)
Department of Political Science
University of Ilorin, Nigeria
P. F. Adebayo (Ph.D)
Lebanese Emigration Research Center,
Notre Dame University, Lebanon
ABSTRACT
By May 2009, Nigeria 's nascent democracy should have been a decade. Thus, the thrust of this paper is an in depth analysis of the possibility of sustaining democratic values beyond any sudden reversal. The. paper however, takes a cursory look at the daunting challenges ahead and infers that unless the government increases social expenditure and truncate the current brazen corruption, the hope of democratic consolidation may eventually be a mirage.
Key words: democracy, nascent, corruption, state law and order
INTRODUCTION
As rightly collated by Decalo1, the events in Africa took scholars by surprise, since most doubted Africa could move towards democracy. Even in the mid-1980 's, one argued that by reason of their poverty or the violence of their politics, African states were unlikely to move in a democratic direction.2 Another adding that "to have expected democracy to flourish would have been historical blindness"3, since 'outside the core (industrialized states) democracy is a rarity, support for Tilly 's thesis 'why Europe will not occur again - with a few exceptions, the limits of democratic development in the world may well have been reached4.
However, despite the doubts and skepticisms openly expressed by scholars, Nigeria, like several other African countries, became democratic. On May 29, 1999 Nigeria became a 'democratic ' state. Prior to 1999 political transition, Nigeria was under firm military autocracy and absolutism for close to 29 years (since 1966), when the military made their first incursion into Nigeria 's government and politics, following the collapse of the first republic5. It is vital to note that authoritarian governments were interrupted only by a brief period of civilian rule in the Second Republic
BY
Emmanuel 0. Ojo (Ph.D)
Department of Political Science
University of Ilorin, Nigeria
P. F. Adebayo (Ph.D)
Lebanese Emigration Research Center,
Notre Dame University, Lebanon
ABSTRACT
By May 2009, Nigeria 's nascent democracy should have been a decade. Thus, the thrust of this paper is an in depth analysis of the possibility of sustaining democratic values beyond any sudden reversal. The. paper however, takes a cursory look at the daunting challenges ahead and infers that unless the government increases social expenditure and truncate the current brazen corruption, the hope of democratic consolidation may eventually be a mirage.
Key words: democracy, nascent, corruption, state law and order
INTRODUCTION
As rightly collated by Decalo1, the events in Africa took scholars by surprise, since most doubted Africa could move towards democracy. Even in the mid-1980 's, one argued that by reason of their poverty or the violence of their politics, African states were unlikely to move in a democratic direction.2 Another adding that "to have expected democracy to flourish would have been historical blindness"3, since 'outside the core (industrialized states) democracy is a rarity, support for Tilly 's thesis 'why Europe will not occur again - with a few exceptions, the limits of democratic development in the world may well have been reached4.
However, despite the doubts and skepticisms openly expressed by scholars, Nigeria, like several other African countries, became democratic. On May 29, 1999 Nigeria became a 'democratic ' state. Prior to 1999 political transition, Nigeria was under firm military autocracy and absolutism for close to 29 years (since 1966), when the military made their first incursion into Nigeria 's government and politics, following the collapse of the first republic5. It is vital to note that authoritarian governments were interrupted only by a brief period of civilian rule in the Second Republic
References: 1. Samuel Decalo, "The Prospects, Prospects and Constraints of Democratization in Africa", African Affairs, Vol. 91, 1992, p.7. 3. Chabal, P., (ed.), "Political Domination in Africa: Reflections on the Limits of Power", Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986, p,5. 5. See, Emmanuel O. Ojo, "Imperatives of Sustaining Democratic Values", in Ojo, E.O. (ed), Challenges of Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria, John Archer (Publishers) Limited, Ibadan, 2006, p.3. 7. Ben Nwabueze, Our March to Constitutional Democracy, The 1989 Guardian Lecture, delivered on July 24, Guardian press, Lagos, 1989. 13. Emmanuel O. Ojo, op.cit., 2006, p.9. 18. See, Decalo, op.cit., 1992, pp. 29,30. 19. Akintunde, J.O., "The Demise of Democracy in the First Republic of Nigeria: A Causal Analysis", ODU: University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University),k Journal of African Studies, Vol. 4, No. 1 (July), 1967, pp. 6-8. 20. Faure, 1958 cited in Ibid, 21 27. The Guardian, May 12, 2000 Lagos, p. 1. 28. Larry, Diamond, "Rethinking Civil Society: Towards Democratic Consolidation", Journal of Democracy, Vol. 5 (July), 1994. 31. Nigerian Compass, August 21, 2008, Isheri, p. 16. 36. See, Varshney, A., "Why Democracy Survives", Journal of Democracy, Vol. 9, No. 3 (July), 1998,p.36. 38. Emmanuel O. Ojo, 2006, op.cit. 40. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, "The State and Democracy in Africa", in Ntalaja and Margaret C. Lee (eds), The State and Society in Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe, AAPS Books, 1989. 41. Dipo Kolawole, "Democracy, Elections, Majoritanianism and the Nigerian Factor", The Nation, Lagos (July) 3, 2007, Lagos, p.15. 43. Fred Onyeoziri, "Federalism and State Capacity in Nigeria", Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 2 (September), 2005, p.3. 44. Emmanuel O. Ojo, 2007, op.cit, 45 46. Eghosa E. Osaghae, "Managing Multiple Minority Problems in a Divided Society: The Nigerian Experience ", The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 36, No. 1, 1998, pp. 1-24. 48. B.J. Dudley, "The Concept of Federalism", Nigerian Journal of Economics and Social Studies, Vol. 5, No.l, 1963, pp. 95-103. 50. Claude Ake, "Governmental Instability in Nigeria", in Nigerian Forum. Jan.-March, 1998, NIIA publication, Lagos. 52. See, Nigerian Tribune, April 11, 2001, Ibadan, p.24. 55. Emmanuel O. Ojo, "The Military and Democratic Transition in Nigeria: An Indepth Analysis of Gen. Babangida 's Transition Programme (1985-1993)", Journal of Political and Military Sociology, Vol. 28 (Summer), 2000, pp. 1-18. 59. The News, August 10, 1999, Lagos. 60. Tell, June 19, 2000, Lagos, p.19. 62. Tell, May 7, 2000, Lagos. 63. Tell, Nov. 20, 2000, Lagos, 64 69. See, The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Bill, 2000. 71. Schedler Andreas, "What is Democratic Consolidation?" Journal of Democracy, Vol. 9, No.2 (April), 1998, pp. 91-107. 72. Emmanuel O. Ojo, 2000, op.cit. 73. Nigerian Tribune, 20 July, 1995, Ibadan, p.4, 74 76. This Day, June 13, 1999, Lagos, pp.15-18. 78. The News, May 14 and 28 editions, 2001 Lagos, 79 81. Emmanuel O. Ojo, 2006, op.cit. 82. Trask, D.F., "Civilian Control of the Military in the United States", in CROSSROADS, a publication of USIS (May), Lagos, 1998, p. 12. 84. Welch (Jr.), op.cit, 1995. 86. Erne Awa, "Democracy in Nigeria: A Political Scientist 's Views", in Oyediran Oyeleye (ed), Governance and Development in Nigeria - Essays in Honour of Prof. B.J. Dudley, a publication of Oyediran Consult Int., Ibadan, 1996, p.8. 87. Emmanuel O. Ojo, 2000, op.cit., p. 1. 93. Arthur E. Davies, "The Independence of the Judiciary in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects", African Stuffy Monographs, Vol. 10, No. 3. 1990, pp.125-136. 95. Itse Sagay, "Election Tribunals and the Survival of Nigeria Democracy", Nigerian Compass, August 21, 2008, Isheri Ogun State, p.24. 100. See, Michael Browns, "How USAJD is assisting the Democratic Transition in Nigeria, Development Policy Centre 's Eminent Personality Seminar Series, Ibadan, June 26, 2001 (unpublished) papers.