The by-elections held across the country last Saturday in 16 constituencies across 12 states, in terms of the organization, the process and outcomes would seem to confirm one painful truth, namely that Nigeria’s democracy is still inchoate, tentative, fledgling, and that we are not yet anywhere near the target of democratic consolidation in Africa’s largest democracy.
Students of Nigeria’s political history would readily recall that these were phrases used to describe and define Nigerian democracy after the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Nigeria had been under the clutches of military dictatorship for the better part of its life as an independent nation (January to July 1966; August 1966 to July 29, 1975; July 29, 1975 – February 13, 1976; February 13, 1976 – October 1, 1979; December 31, 1983 – August 27, 1985, August 27, 1985 -August 26, 1993; 1993 – 1998 and 1998 – 1999. Over a period of 39 years, there were brief, eventually truncated moments of democratic rule which occurred between 1960 -1966, 1979 – 1983, August 26, 1993 – November 17, 1993.
