3 - Democracy in Nigeria: Crises and Consequences of Military Dictatorship

Summary

Introduction

This chapter argues that the current constitutionally centralized structure of Nigerian federation, the nature of the Nigerian state and the character of the political leadership, do not encourage democratic practice. The constitutional and structural defects and the other two elements are largely the aftermath of many years of military rule. Therefore, the ‘musical chairs’ which have characterized democratic practice since 1999 are a manifestation of the contradictions inherent in the three factors identified above, all of which resulted from nearly thirty years of military rule. Accordingly, the chapter will not undertake a review of elections, rule of law, and the other indices of democratic practice in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. These are discourses about Nigerian democracy and politics abundantly documented and are common place, and have not significantly changed from the records about them since 1999 (Ayoade and Akinsanya 2013; Obiyan and Amuwo 2015; Agbu 2016; Hamalai, et al. 2016). Rather the chapter is interested in examining reasons why elections/ electoral politics, rule of law and other elements of democratic practice are not significantly developing in Nigeria, focusing on why it is indeed unlikely that democracy in Nigeria will survive beyond what it is presently. It is an endeavour to identify impediments to democracy; why democracy in Nigeria may remain an illusion for some time to come.

The chapter is in four sections. The first, following this Introduction, makes a brief comment about democracy and its illusions. The second section examines the federal structure and the 1999 Constitution, and the role of the military in the making of the Constitution. The 1999 Constitution contains inbuilt contradictions which constitute serious challenges to democratic practice in a plural society and federation like Nigeria. The third section examines the nature of the Nigerian state and its capacity to conduct elections and observe other elements of democratic rule. It identifies a ‘coalition’ of political leadership, and how this has been manipulating the electoral processes and disregarding the rule of law. The fourth and final section concludes that, without unbundling the federation, giving more constitutional powers to the federating units, and addressing other ills identified, democratic consolidation may continue to be an illusion in Nigeria.