The virtues of democracy being promoted by the West in most of emerging democracies are confronted by challenges which are peculiar to each of these transiting nations. The peculiarity of Nigeria’s transition lies in the improvised nature of the political system. This challenged the basic principles of democratic system. Being formerly a praetorian state, consolidation of Nigeria nascent democracy is therefore tied to the relationship between the civilian authority and military institution. This research is a study of civilmilitary relations in the context of transition and democratization. The exclusive civilian control of the armed forces in transitional democracy is empirically not suitable, particularly in Nigeria where the military still enjoys its negotiated prerogatives during the transition from authoritarian rule. The role of armed forces in the nation democratisation consequently defines their relationship with civilian authority. Issues of civil-military relations are investigated under the unique nature of the post authoritarian political patterns in Nigeria.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 References
2.0 Theoretical Framework
2.1 Theory of civil military relations in transitional democracy: context and content of issues in Peter Feaver’s Agency Theory
2.2 Conceptualizing Strategic Interaction: a core of Feaver’s Agency theory
2.3 Methodology
2.4 References
3.0 Historical legacies of Nigerian military
3.1 Partisan Army- Nigerian military since 1966
3.2 Highlights of civil-military relations in Nigeria since independence
3.3 Retired military officers in politics
3.4 Reference
4.0 Civil-military behaviour
4.1 The military and society - a case of Nigeria
4.2 Validation/invalidation of research hypothesis
4.3 Civil-military relations in Nigeria’s fourth republic
4.4 References
5.0 Summary and Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis investigates the complex dynamics of civil-military relations within Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, focusing on how the country’s unique history of military rule impacts contemporary democratic consolidation. The central research objective is to examine how the conditional factors of the military institution, characterized by a history of political intervention and the continued dominance of retired military elites, shape the behavior of civil-military relations and affect the efficacy of civilian oversight.
- The influence of historical military legacies on modern democratic structures.
- Application of Peter Feaver’s "Agency Theory" to analyze civilian-military strategic interactions.
- The impact of retired military officers’ involvement in the political process.
- The effectiveness of civilian control and institutional oversight mechanisms.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Partisan Army- Nigerian military since 1966
Illustrating military participation and intervention in politics from the traditional Greek city-state to modern state formation, Elaigwu submits that all militaries intervene in their national politics but the degree of their intervention is what varies from country to country (Elaigwu, I; 1999). In a similar vein, as argued by Uzoigwe, “In no state traditional or modern is the military totally divorced from the political structure. The degree of integration, however, of the military and politics varies from state to state” (Ibid). By calling coup d’etat one of the political roles of the military as more important in military participation in politics of third world countries, though problematic, Claude E Welch Jr. stated that: “armed forces in developing countries should be perceived as exercising a direct - and appropriate- series of political roles beyond the 'orthodox ones', such as advising policy makers and defending against external attacks” (Welch C; 1985). Elsewhere, Finer categorised military intervention into four according to the degree of influence on the civilian regime. The first entails the exercise of legitimate and constitutional influence on the civilian government by military leaders to attain goals such as an increase in military budget. The second category is when the military use threats or sanctions to blackmail the civilian regime to reach its goal; and the third is when they displace a civilian regime with another one, so that the latter can meet their demands. The last category involves the complete military takeover of the helm of state affairs by sweeping away the civilian regime via a coup d’etat (Finer, 1962). The complete overt participation in politics of the Nigerian state therefore, as referred to here, makes the Nigerian military a partisan military since 1966, before it willingly withdrew from this role in 1999.
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: This chapter provides the historical context of global democratization and the specific circumstances of Nigeria's transition from military rule to civil governance in 1999.
2.0 Theoretical Framework: This section introduces Peter Feaver’s Agency Theory as a lens to analyze the strategic interactions between civilian principals and military agents in the context of a transitioning democracy.
3.0 Historical legacies of Nigerian military: This chapter explores the history of military intervention in Nigerian politics since 1966 and the enduring political influence of retired military officers.
4.0 Civil-military behaviour: This chapter analyzes current civil-military relations in the Fourth Republic, validating research hypotheses regarding political instability and the nature of the military's role in the state.
5.0 Summary and Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the research findings, offering a conclusion on how the "military factor" continues to influence democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
Keywords
Civil-military relations, Nigeria, Fourth Republic, democratization, democratic consolidation, Agency Theory, military intervention, political instability, civilian control, retired military officers, transitology, governance, strategic interaction, military professionalism, political transition
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
This work examines the nature of civil-military relations in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, focusing on the challenges of establishing democratic civilian control in a state with a history of prolonged military intervention.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The study centers on the "military factor," the political influence of retired officers, institutional mechanisms for civilian oversight, and the impact of these variables on Nigeria’s political stability.
What is the primary research question or objective?
The objective is to determine how post-military state conditions affect civil-military behavior and to analyze whether civilian authorities can successfully implement democratic control over the armed forces.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The research primarily uses a qualitative content analysis approach, synthesizing data from newspaper reports, expert interviews, and secondary literature to categorize and analyze underlying themes.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body details the historical legacies of the Nigerian military, applies Peter Feaver’s Agency Theory to describe current relations, and provides empirical validation for research hypotheses concerning political stability.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
Key concepts include civil-military relations, democratic consolidation, Agency Theory, partisan military influence, and the political role of retired military personnel.
How does the "military factor" affect civilian oversight?
The military factor, resulting from long-term political involvement, creates institutional weaknesses that make civilian authorities cautious, often resulting in non-intrusive monitoring to avoid potential instability.
What role do retired military officers play in current politics?
Retired officers act as a bridge between military and civilian constituencies, leveraging their past political and social networks to maintain significant influence over the contemporary democratic political landscape.
- Quote paper
- Samson Ajagbe (Author), 2009, Civil Military Relations in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/201214
