Democratization under Military Tutelage: Crisis and Consensus in the Nigerian 1979 Elections

Political regimes and systems in Africa have changed at least as rapidly as the theories that have been advanced to explain their very nature. No sooner had the independence governments been installed in the early 1960s than a series of military coups, or the gradual erosion of constitutional provisions, resulted in the establishment of authoritarian regimes in most countries in the continent. Two decades after independence, one scholar was willing to acknowledge that only three of these governments qualified to be called constitutional: the relatively small polities of Botswana, Gambia, and Mauritius.' For these and other reasons, it is necessary to be cautious, and critical, when a new wave of political change seems to be surfacing in tropical Africa. In 1978-79, three of the most tyrannical rulers in the continent-Idi Amin of Uganda, Macias Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, and Jean Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic-were dislodged from power. Almost concurrently, Nigeria and Ghana were returned from military to constitutional governments, while the nationalists in Rhodesia were permitted to translate their military and popular strength into parliamentary seats and control of the state apparatus. Elsewhere in the continent, in Senegal and Upper Volta, reforms were introduced in the political system to try to render elections something more than meaningless political rites performed to grant periodic legitimation to the existing regimes.2 One important consequence of this incipient transformation, or rejuvenation, of liberal politics is that students of Africa must once again prepare to study seriously the conduct of elections and party