Title:
POLITICAL TRANSITION AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN SELECTED AFRICAN COUNTRIES. A STUDY OF NIGERIA, GHANA AND KENYA

Authors:
Nte, Eyo Bassey ,Edem Edemekong Edemidiong ,Otioro, Francis Edem and Anwana, I. Osin

Abstract:
Like every other continents, history has it that after the attainment of independence most African countries witnessed several military regimes occasioned by coups and counter coups d’état. With returned to democracy in late 1950s and early 1960s, the authoritarian civilian government refused to transit power to those who won election in opposition party or those who are not their political favorites. In a bid to elongate their stay was greeted with discontent by pro-democrats, organized civil society, the media as well as the masses. Consequent upon this, the unwillingness to transit political power by the ruling party in turn formed a complex issue in sustaining African nascent democracy. This made the political progress of these countries towards full blown democratization became thorny. The objective of this paper is to examine political transitions in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya and how their democratic rules are consolidated. To achieve the objective of the paper, Historical and Descriptive Research Method were adopted and data were got through the aid of primary and secondary sources. Elite theory was also adopted as a theoretical framework. The major findings revealed among others that several attempts at providing political transition and democratic consolidation in most African Countries were hampered by personality cult of the emerging political gladiators who exploited the instrument of state to promote their selfish agenda, by way of manipulating transition programmes and advanced political strategies to prolong their stay. Based on the above findings the paper recommended among others that politics should not be viewed as do or die affairs, those at the position of power should accept defeats and hand over to power to whoever win elections, hate speech must be tamed if parties have to operate in a safe political environment and inter-ethnic conflicts stemmed and institutions such as the judiciary, legislature and electoral body should be independent etc