Dilemmas of Democracy in Nigeria

Description

No African country has tried so hard or for so long to create a lasting democratic system as has Nigeria, but success has been elusive. Political transition to democracy, under the auspices of a series of authoritarian military governments, has been prolonged and lacking in outcome; vast sums of money, and an increasing number of Nigerian lives, have been sacrificed, and the more intangible costs -to the relations among and between the country's complex mosaic of ethnicities, religions andregions, and to Nigeria's international relations - have been incalculable. Increasingly, the dilemma of democracy has become the axis around which all of Nigeria's public questions revolve. This book offers an innovative, multidisciplinary study of the historical, social and economic roots of both the effort and the failure to create democracy in Nigeria; it includes contributions by 13 of Nigeria's best politicalanalysts. Major episodes of transition to democracy (both ultimately unsuccessful) are studied in detail; new interpretations of the patterns of regional and ethnic interaction and conflict are developed; and the outlooks for democracy, internal peace and continued national existence are assessed. Contributors: FUNSO AFOLAYAN, ADIGUN AGBAJE, SABO BAKO, PAUL BECKETT, PETER EKEH, DAVID EMELIFEONWU, TOYIN FALOLA, ALEX GBOYEGA, JIBRIN IBRAHIM, RICHARD JOSEPH, PETER LEWIS, OYELEYE OYEDIRAN, JOHN PADEN, RICHARD SKLAR, ROTIMI SUBERU, CHUDI UWASURIKE, OLUFEMI VAUGHN, PAT AMA TOKUNBO WILLIAMS, CRAWFORD YOUNG Dilemmas of Democracy in Nigeria CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS PREFACE Note INTRODUCTION: BEYOND THE IMPASSE OF "PERMANENT TRANSITION" IN NIGERIA The Scope of the Effort—and of the Failure The Overlooked Interest of the Nigerian Case Democracy and the Legitimacy of Military Rule: The Nigerian Paradox The Anatomy of Permanent Transition The Impasse of Permanent Transition Beyond Permanent Transition Notes References PART 1— HISTORY AND SOCIETY 1— Crises and Transitions in the Political History of Independent Nigeria Abubakar Tafawa Balewa's Crisis, 1962–1966 Transition: Ironsi, Gowon, the Civil War, and Oil Olusegun Obasanjo's Crisis, 1976 Transition: The Second Republic Shehu Shagari's Crisis, 1983 Transition: Which Way? Ibrahim Babangida's Crisis, 1990 Transition: Towards a Third Republic, but in Vain Sani Abacha's Crisis, 1993– References 2— Nigeria: A Political Entity and a Society Colonial Rule and the Creation of Modern Nigeria Independence and the Emergence of Nigeria As a Conglomerate Society Primordial Loyalties, Ideologies and the Consolidation of Social Distance Pluralism and Intra-Elite Struggle for Power and Dominance Creating a More Perfect Union: Challenges and Prospects References PART 2— THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES 3— Permanent Transition and Changing Conjuncture: Dilemmas of Democracy in Nigeria in Comparative Pe... Notes References 4— The Concept of Second Liberation and the Prospects of Democracy in Africa: A Nigerian Context Two Meanings of Freedom in African History The "First Liberation": Africans' Struggle for Collective Freedom from Colonial Rule Post-Colonial Nationhood and the Abuses of Collective Freedom The Absence of Individualism and the Destiny of Democracy in Africa Fragmented Public Spheres and the Problems of Democracy in Africa The Second Liberation: The Search for Individuals' Freedom from Domestic Tyranny Problems Confronting the Struggle for Second Liberation Issues and Principles of the Second Liberation Movement Strategies and Solutions for Achieving the Goals of Second Liberation Movement Rethinking the Sovereignty of African Nations Notes References 5— Legitimizing Democracy: The Role of the Highly Educated Elite The Highly Educated Elite in Post-independence Nigeria The Political Culture of an Elite-in-Training: Ambivalent Democrats A Cycle of Ambivalence: 1975–1983 A Second Cycle of Ambivalence: 1985–1993 Cycles of Elite Ambivalence and Permanent Transition The Present and the Future Notes References PART 3— THE FAILURE OF TRANSITION 6— Democratization under Military Rule and Repression in Nigeria The Consolidation of a Prebendal Republic Babangida's Bogus Transition Military-Civilian Alternation in Power Alternatives to Another Superficial Transition The Missed Opportunity of June 12 1993 Beyond Military Overrule Conclusion Notes References 7— Obstacles to Democratization Nigeria The Obstacles Posed by the Patrimonial and Rentier State The Military Obstacle Conclusion References 8— Transition without End: From Hope to Despair—Reflections of a Participant-Observer The First and Second Transitions The Third Transition: From Transition to Transition The Fourth Transition: From Crisis to Despair Conclusion References 9— 1993: Crisis and Breakdown of Nigeria's Transition to Democracy Behind the Annulment After the Annulment Conclusion Notes References PART 4— IDENTITIES AND CONTEXTS 10— Women and the Dilemma of Politics in Nigeria Background to Women and Nigerian Politics Nigerian Women in the Colonial Period Nigerian Women in the Post-Colonial Period under Democratic Regimes Nigerian Women in the First and Second Military Regimes Women and the Babangida Administration Women and the Abacha Administration Conclusion References 11— Nigerian Unity and the Tensions of Democracy: Geo-Cultural Zones and North-South Legacies Introduction Background on North-South Relations The Idea of Six Geo-Cultural Zones Dyadic Relations of Geo-Cultural Zones in "North" and "South" The 1979 and 1983 Presidential Elections The 1993 Presidential Elections Geo-Cultural Identities and Coalition Building (1993) Implications of the 1993 Experience The Idea of Zonal Power Sharing and Rotation Geo-Cultural Zones and "North-South" Federalism Issues Conclusions Notes References 12— Christian Radicalism and Nigerian Politics The Religious Factor Confrontation with Islam Distribution of Power The Politics of Interest Implications for Democracy Acknowledgments: Notes References 13— Muslims, State, and The Struggle for Democratic Transition in Nigeria: From Cooperation to Confl... Introduction Militarism and Religiosity The Religious Context and Patterns of Democratic Transitions Religion in Second Republic Politics Babangida and New Transition The Abacha Period Conclusion Notes References 14— Politics and the Economy: A Downward Spiral Background to Reform: Crisis and Stabilization Babangida and the SAP The Unsteady Path of Reform The Political Management of Adjustment Uncertainty and Weakening Reform, 1990–92 Transition Crisis and the Collapse of Adjustment, 1993–94 The Changing Contours of the Political Economy The Emergence of Predatory Rule Conclusion Notes References PART 5— INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS 15— Politics and the Search for Accommodation in Nigeria: Will Rotational Consociationalism Suffice?... Strategies of the 1995 Constitution Nigerian Political Thought: Five Dominant Tendencies The Anglo-American Fixation Neo-Corporatist Ethno-Regionalism Military-Bureaucratic Developmentalism The Dyarchy Realpolitik Option Rotational Exercise of Power The 1995 Constitution: Towards a Consociational Future? A Consociational Fourth Republic: Will It Work? Notes References 16— Federalism, Ethnicity and Regionalism in Nigeria Power-Sharing and the Federal Character Principle The Politics of Revenue Sharing How Many States and Localities? Alternative Political Options for Nigeria Conclusion References 17— Party Systems and Civil Society Concepts As Key Party Systems and Civil Society in Nigeria Conclusion References 18— Local Institutions, Civil Society and Democratization in Nigeria, 1986–1993 The Philosophy of the Transition Civil Society under the Transition Program Civil Society and Democratization Government's Reaction Conclusion References 19— Traditional Rulers and the Dilemma of Democratic Transitions in Nigeria The Political Context of "Traditional Rulership" in Post-Colonial Nigeria Traditional Rulers and the Buhari Regime, 1984–1985 Traditional Rulers and the Babangida Regime, 1985–1993 Traditional Rulers and the Political Bureau, 1986–1988 Conclusion Notes References INDEX A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W Y