The Armed State of Nigeria's Political Space

In the two decades of democratic rule in Nigeria, the military has created a messianic complex in its internal response to crises.

Written by Fisayo Ajala

May 9, 2019

A soldier stands guard during a launch campaign by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party for President Muhammadu Buhari's re-election bid, in Uyo, Nigeria December 28, 2018. TIFE OWOLABI.

The narrative of the democratization processes in African states cannot be written without a bold reference to the role played by the military class in several African countries. In the Cold War years of the 1960s and up to the Post-Cold War years of the 1990s, military regimes were endemic in several African countries. These military regimes that sprung up in different countries either ennobled democratic practices through peaceful handover to civilian governments, as in the cases of Benin, Niger and Mali in the 1990s, or subverted democracies through forceful takeovers at different points in time.

Nigeria presents a remarkable case for these two instances. While the military regimes of Olusegun Obasanjo (February 1976 – October 1979) and Abdulsalam Abubakar (June 1998 – May 1999) presented the second and fourth republics, the regime of Muhammadu Buhari (December 1983 – August 1985) would be remembered for aborting the second republic in December 1983.

The democratic change of government in 1999 did not keep the military out of the Nigerian state’s political affairs. The military’s constitutional roles provided for them to not only maintain territorial integrity and defend against external aggression, but also to suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the legislature. Hence, post-1999 Nigeria has featured a motley of incidents that necessitated, at various times, military intervention to either defend the country’s territorial integrity, assist civil authorities, or act as agents of state hegemony and control in manners reminiscent of previous military regimes in the country.

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About the Author

Fisayo Ajala

is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Sociology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His most recent article appeared in the journal, African Security. His book reviews and articles have been published in LSE Review of Books, African Studies Quarterly, and The Republic.

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The Armed State of Nigeria's Political Space