Authority and Power AP Comparative Government National Question Despite being independent since 1960 Nigeria deals with a national question as to the direction the government should move ID: 505168
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Slide1
Nigeria: Sovereignty, Authority and Power
AP Comparative GovernmentSlide2
National Question
Despite being independent since 1960, Nigeria deals with a
“national question”
as to the direction the government should move
Within this issue lies regional disagreements and hostilities
Problems are often resolved through military force and authoritarian leadersSlide3
Constitutionalism
In 1914 Nigeria wrote their first constitution
They have written 8 different constitutions since 1914.
The most recent Constitution was written in 1999
This document has been heavily amended
Because of this rapid change, the Nigerian Constitution does not hold the type of reverence and respect as the U.S. Constitution
The government often feels they can suspend constitutional provisions when they see fitSlide4
Legitimacy
Because of the “national question” Nigeria has strong impulses toward fragmentation
This means the country gravitates toward ethnic, regional, and religious lines
The military is a national entity and has provided stability to the country despite the fact that their contributions to the “national question” have created division
This stability lends itself to the perspective that the military has the right to rule
The majority of Nigerian presidents have been generals or have had military experienceSlide5
Legitimacy
Due to the lack of legitimacy in government, many people do not trust political leaders
This has largely stemmed from their treatment as a colonial entity and later their treatment under authoritarian military rule
The military has not been to rule of law and largely did as they pleased
Generals
Ibrahim Babangida
(1985-1993) and
Sani Abacha
(1993-1998) alienated citizens with their corrupt rule
Tax money went straight into their pockets and not towards the improvement of the countrySlide6
Legitimacy
Sharia has been a source of legitimacy in Nigeria, especially since the end of military rule in 1999
Sharia was carried out swiftly and harshly in the North, but since 2008 the federal government has cracked down on Hisbah (police charged with enforcing Islamic morality) and rarely enforce the harshest aspects of sharia
Sharia is often used to further society
Laws that allow for women to gain Islamic education mixed with math and reading skills
There are also laws based on sharia that promote cleanliness and recycling Slide7
Political Traditions 800-1860
Trade Connections-
The Niger River and access to the ocean allowed contact and trade with other civilizations
There were also trade networks across the Sahara
Early Influence of Islam-
Because of contact through trade, Islamic ideals proliferated throughout Nigeria
Under early influences of Islam, sharia, governed politics, and authority and policymaking by the elite were established
In these early years of Nigeria, women were looked at as subordinate
Kinship-based politics-
Political organization rarely went beyond the village level
Business and politics was often handled through family tiesSlide8
Political Traditions 800-1860
Complex political identities-
There is very little clear cut distinction between centralized state and local governance during this time period
Tribes and kingdoms quickly merged with each other in an attempt to gain more trade power
Democratic impulses-
Prior to the colonial period of Nigerian history, rulers were expected to seek advise and to govern in the best interest of the people
If they did not, they were removed from their positionsSlide9
Political Traditions Colonial Era (1860-1960)
Authoritarian Rule-
Chiefs and other natives were left in charge during this time period and were only accountable to the British
This made the rulers less responsible to the people
The Interventionist state-
The colonialists trained chiefs to operate their governments in order to reach economic goals
It was expected that citizens should passively accept the actions of their rulers
Individualism-
This pushed Chiefs to value personal benefits of governance, rather than the good of the whole communitySlide10
Political Traditions Colonial Era (1860-1960)
Christianity-
The British brought their religion with them and spread it through the south and west of the country
This lead to great conflict between the Islamic areas of the country
Intensification of ethnic politics-
Three main ethnic groups dominated during this time period. They included the Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and
Yaruba
The British government pitted this groups against each other by promising jobs and gifts to some but not others
Ethnicity also became charged as race was a way of rallying groups against the BritishSlide11
Political Traditions The Era Since Independence (1960-now)
From 1960-1979, Nigeria used a parliamentary system of government
Because of wide ethnic issues, a majority was hard to come by
In 1979, Nigeria switched to a presidential system with a popularly-elected president
A separate legislature and judiciary were also created
These branches have had very little ability to check the power of the presidentSlide12
Political Traditions The Era Since Independence (1960-now)
In 1966, military tactics were used to seize power as rival groups sought supremacy in the government
Agiyi Ironsi was the first military ruler and justified his rule by announcing his intention to end violence and stop corruption
Ironsi was assassinated by another general and the
Biafra
Civil War broke out
Military rule prevailed and the idea of rule for personal gain continued
In order to pacify the various groups throughout Nigeria, a federal system was set up
This federal system was very unsuccessful and power was really centered in the military rule
Nigeria also has huge oil reserves that have caused instability and military rulers have attempted to put those reserves under their powerSlide13
Political Culture
Patron-Clientelism-
The use of favors to achieve goals is a large part of Nigerian culture
State Control/Rich Civil Society-
While the government has always tried to dominate all aspects of a citizens life, they have been unsuccessful
There are many formal and informal ethnic and religious associations, professional and labor groups, and other NGO’s
Tension Between Modernity and Tradition-
Nigerian’s have striven to become a modern state, but their status as a colony and the history of military dictatorship has hindered their push
Religious Conflict-
Islam began to influence the region in the 11
th
century
The conflict with Christianity, which arrived much later, has cause both social and political issues (
sharia
v non-
sharia
)Slide14
Political and Economic Change (1960-Present)
Prior to Nigerian independence, the British tried to train the people to rule themselves
Nigerians were part of the bureaucracy and learned government functionality
The military dictatorships established in 1966 set a precedent that regimes would change quickly
In 1999 Olusegun Obasanjo was democratically elected to the presidency
The elections of 99, 03, and 07 were extremely violent and fraudulent
There was also little nationalism that bound the country together