The Elite and Political Process in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria's crisis-ridden political history shows how it survived multiple military
dictatorships, and had only three short-lived civilian-led political dispensations until
the Fourth Republic. The article considers the concept of African elite and progresses
to unravel the Nigerian elite and its role in the scuttling of the First and Second democratic projects/experiments. The role of the military wing in the Third Republic also highlighted and the weakness of the civilian wing against it is also considered. It argues that despite the transition from military rule to democracy in 1999 Nigeria may have become a crippled giant,
and considering its post-1999 political class and leadership, the mistakes of the
past may be repeated in the future.

Africa Insight Vol. 38 (2) 2008: pp. 50-61