In the closing decade of the twentieth century, Africa began dismantling old certainties. Military juntas that had ruled by decree packed away their fatigues. One-party states loosened their grip and rewrote constitutions. In Southern Africa, apartheid, the world’s most notorious system of institutionalised racial segregation, collapsed under the weight of internal resistance and international pressure.
Across the continent, a new language took hold. It was the language of multiparty elections, constitutional rule and civilian supremacy. Democracy was not merely presented as a political arrangement; it was sold as a cure for Africa’s deepest ailments. It would revive stagnant economies, steady national currencies, strengthen institutions, educate children and improve public health. After decades of authoritarian rule, the ballot became a symbol of hope. For many Africans, it felt like a second independence.
Nigeria arrived late to that moment. After years of military coups, failed transition programmes and the annulment of the
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