A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IBRAHIM BABANGIDA AND SANI ABACHA’S TRANSITION PROGRAMMED AND IT’S IMPLICATION ON THE NIGERIA FOURTH REPUBLIC
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Transition as project of democratization looms large of African political horizon. These projects now occupy an important place on the political agenda of many African countries. Every where on the African continent, one party regimes, one man rule, military rule and authoritarian rule generally are under siege increasingly forced either by popular demonstration, intra-elite accommodation, externally induced pressures, or a combination of these and other social forces to pen up to liberate and to make important concession to competitive politics.
Nigeria like most Africa countries is at present infested by coups and counter-coups, it has become a society where military rule has become a volatile political norm (Adejumbi and Momoh (1995) the perennial rule of the military in Nigeria which began with the first coup led by major Chukwuma Ezeogwu in 1966, has not only made the military define the nature of the political economy of Nigeria but has often created the context for enthronement and dethronement of civil regimes (Adejumbi and Momoh, 1995), paradoxically, civilian regimes in Nigeria lack the disciplines and political will to protect civil society from the vulnerability of military rule.
According to Ihonebere (1966) postulated that; the fractionalization of ruling elite and the weakness of civil society and the fragility of the state helps to explain why the military has emerged as the most powerful contender in the struggle for the power in contemporary Nigeria.
It is within this context that one can better understand the contradictions or military rule in Nigeria.
The years of perennial military rule in Nigeria and a tradition of toying around with the political class without political repercussions seems to suggest that there are two political parties in Nigeria, one being self imposed and the other elected.
Therefore, it seems that the political systems obeys two contradictory impulses at one time, authoritarianism and democracy. Either way, the military or the political elite in Nigeria have demonstrated in recent times their inability to respect the democratic ethos of leadership (Amuwo 1995).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As will become clear from this research work, there has been a recurrent problems with the transition programme of the Babangida and Abacha administration in Nigeria.
The notion of political crafting implies some in determining of the end-point and the end will of the transition programme.
This research work examines the transition programme in Nigeria to civilian governance offered by the various military leaders in Nigeria since 1985. A scrutiny of these programmes implementation reveals a peculiar. Pattern typically, the designed junta leader proposes a military withdrawal time table and soon thereafter connive with civilian and military collaborations to abort the very programme he initiated.
The set up agencies, commission, and electoral bodies are usually a subterfuge aimed at retaining power or at least prevailing the establishment of a genuine democracy. The attainment of a bonafide democracy has remained elusive because of the culture of corruption. Various regimes helped to institute amidst unattended mass poverty; the essentially antidemocratic nature of the military institution has made it ill prepared to usher in democracy in Nigeria.
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