Military intervention in politics, in this context, can be seen as an unconstituti onal takeover of political power from the civilians by the armed forces by brute force. Nigerian politics introduction the name nigeria was coined by flora shaw, who later became the wife of lord lugard, the british colonial administrator, on 8 january 1897, which she used as the title of an article in the times meek, 1960, to describe the vast land. A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. But with nigeria becoming a republic in 1963, the nigerian military forces were renamed, and thereafter designated nigerian military forces. Africas legacy of military involvement in politics will ensure that the military continues to play a role in the ongoing processes of political transition for some time to come. First, the spread of islam, predominantly in the north but later in. Reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics the nigerian military has registered their unequivocal and unquestionable presence in the political atmosphere of the nigerian state. Reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics. The ftrst military intervention in politics was in january 1966. Between 1966 and 1999 the army held power in nigeria without interruption apart from a shortlived return to democracy between 19791983. Pdf military intervention in the nigerian politics and its impact on.
An introduction to african politics, this course will provide for its participants a general survey of the main issues. The other reason of military intervention relates to the social mobilization, common interest and class makeup, religion, economic expansion, colonial inheritance and history tells us all these things. Reasons for military intervention in politics world news. The bedrock for military coups and leadership in nigeria and many other countries slowly corroded as a result of the pressure mounted on political belief that people of different social classes, religions, races, etc should live together in a society like nigeria. Thirty years ago expectations were very different wells, 1974 charlton, 1981.
Military interventions in the nigerian politics international journal. The economic community of west african states ecowas was established in 1975 with the formal aim of promoting economic cooperation between 15 countries with different historic trajectories colonisation, language, and administrative cultures yet sharing similar socioeconomic conditions. A military coup is the violent or nonviolent overthrow of an existing political regime by the military. Nigerian politics, military prerogatives, military intervention, authoritarianism, civil military relations, democracy introduction the postindependence nigerian political system has been fundamentally affected by two noticeable phenomena. Military intervention in african politics 7 week ten reserve reading 7. I have analysed the nigerian case within the framework of politicisation. Totalitarian and democratic regimes have a common problem, which is the possibility of military intervention. Political instability was accentuated by military intervention into the politics and. For instance, prior to the january 1966 coup, the people of the western region were in mess.
Pdf the paper traces the evolution of the influence of the military governance in nigeria on the development of managerial elite. Military intervention in nigerian politics searchlight on the nigerian army from january 15, 1966 to may 29, 1999 and civilian and military politicians in nigeria by ajisola ewuola, ajis ajet. The abacha military regime that ruled nigeria from 17 november 1993 to 8 june 1998 could well be summarized as a government that was involved in a perennial, if uneven, struggle with civil society organizations and the international community that wanted a rapid return to civilian and democratic rule. The term military rule as used here is synonymous with military regime and refers to a subtype of authoritarian regime for most of human history, attaching military to rule would have been redundant, because almost all political regimes in largescale societies of the premodern period. Military rule, political regime in which the military as an organization holds a preponderance of power. Military intervention is basically an attempt by military officers to get involved in the political process to improve upon what they assumed to be the.
Causes of military intervention in politics in nigeria. Military intervention in the nigerian politics and its impact on the. Military intervention has become a very important expression in the early 21st century because over the past 20 years many small or weak nations have fallen prey to terrorist uprisings andor invasions either by neighboring countries or by militants using neighboring countries as staging grounds military interventions are supposed to be regulated by the united nations, which was formed after. Analysts have posited many reasons to account for military involvement in politics. The context of the call for military intervention in africa. When an army sets itself up as an independent political organization and. Nigerian military juntas of 196679 and 198399 wikipedia. Stretching our thought further, we get u reminded of the coinparisoils of deinocracy and military dictatorship. Since the time of independence in 1960, the military have held on to power for a record of 29 years. Military intervention in the nigerian politics and its impact on the development of managerial elite. It concludes interalia that military interventions in civil governance in nigeria are is an aberration. Major general johnson aguiyiironsi was made the head of the federal military government of nigeria, serving for six months before being overthrown and assassinated in the 1966 nigerian countercoup.
Democratic transition, military withdrawal from politics, coups, re intervention, arab world 1. Failure of the elections conducted by the civilian government in 1965 and 1983 brought about the military intervention. With the collapse of authoritarian regimes in eastern europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the world moved. Truly, the polity of the nigerian state was heated up at the various time coups took place. For example the obas of the south west of nigeria, the. The nigeria military then was still largely under the control and influence of the queen of england. The paper concludes that military interventions via coups were not entirely wasted years, but created some new management elites who. The military and the challenge of democratic consolidation. The presence of opposition groups which do not share the same ideology with those in the military has forced at times the. University of nigeria, nsukka abstract military rule became dominant feature of government in nigeria only after political independence, especially from january 15th 1966.
Military rule in nigeria first started on january 15, 1966, when a group or army officers overthrew the npcnndp government and killed many of the countrys political rulers. The abacha junta, which was the arrowhead of the antidemocratic forces, prevailed, by. There have been a large number of successful and failed military coups in nigeria since the countrys independence from the british empire in 1960. Military prerogatives, authoritarianism and the prospects. Military intervention an overview sciencedirect topics. Political decay, of which a significant symptom of military intervention, arises out of an imbalance between social mobilization and political institutionalization. The military also saw the political instability of nigeria as a reason to intervene at the various time they did. It is necessary educate the officers and men of the nigerian military force on the issues and conduct of political affairs in the country, because it can be sufficient desideration to eradicate coups in our political system. The evolution of the nigerian military followed very closely, the political history of the country. Five reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics.
Political education is one of the key factors towards eradicating military intervention in the countrys democratic process. The impact of military coup detat on political development in nigeria. It is also interesting to note that the first colonial. In the case of social mobilization, if there are weak political institutions that regulate participation, it will be unable to respond to these demands, and regulate social conflict, thereby succumbing to military interventions and related instabilities. Overview of politics in the postcolonial era african politics in the postcolonial era has been marred by authoritarianism, corruption, military intervention, and leadership failures amidst a broader socioeconomic crisis characterized by poverty. The causes and origins of military intervention in nigerian politics are so complex that they cannot be separated from the prevailing political situation at the time.
Military intervention is basically an attempt by military officers to get involved in the political process to improve upon what they assumed to be the major problem associated with it. In liberal tradition, the military is insulated from politics and subject to civilian control. Military, politics and public administration in nigeria. Causes of military intervention and prevention in nigeria. With a restoration of democracy, nigerians are very much determined to sustain it and make the future generation proud to be a part of this great nation. After nigeria gained independence from the uk on october 1, 1960, its domestic politics tried to emulate those of its former colonial master by adopting a westminsterstyle. Top 5 reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics. Republic, nigeria, and ghana in 1966 when the ill wind of military coup detat. Upon obtaining independence from colonial rule in the late. The last three years have seen humanitarian organizations calling for military intervention in bosnia, somalia, rwanda and elsewhere. The military history of nigeria since the colonial rule began precisely on the 1 st october 1966. Nigeria during the abacha years 19931998 introduction.
Military intervention in politics, in this context, can be seen as an unconstitutional takeover of political power from the civilians by the armed forces by brute force. Whether your country is democratic or totalitarian, you can still get the military forces involved in politics. The intervention of military in the political scene of nigeria was not totally a surprise to most political observers and thinkers. Military intervention in politics is a very common problem faced by developed and developing countries. Military intervention in the nigerian politics and its. In most developing countries, there is a disruption of the civil military equilibrium usually assumed in liberal democracies. The need to consolidate power has opened up for the struggle for power at all levels within society even outside elections. The basis of military interventions in politics has explained the dilemma of military. The future of nigerian politics lies in tolerating civilian governance. Military intervention in nigerian government has recurred since 1966 amidst social, economic and political crises, and the opinion in some. Reasons for military intervention in nigerias politics.
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