The Military In Nigerian Politics

The first military intervention in Nigerian politics occurred in the year 1966. This intervention marked a significant and drastic shift in Nigeria's political landscape. Prior to this, Nigeria had functioned as a parliamentary democracy after gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1960.

In January 1966, Nigeria experienced its first military coup, which was led by a group of army officers. These officers were dissatisfied with the political climate at the time, which was characterized by alleged corruption, ethnic tension, and political instability within the civilian government.

During the coup, several political leaders, including the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, were assassinated. This coup ultimately led to the suspension of the constitution and the end of the First Republic, paving the way for military rule in Nigeria.

The consequences of this intervention were far-reaching, as it started a series of coups and counter-coups in the years that followed, profoundly impacting Nigeria's political history and development. The military would go on to rule for many years, with brief interruptions by civilian administrations, until the eventual return to civilian rule in 1999.

Whenever the military seized power in Nigeria, the practice of democracy was suspended and its institutions were undermined. Five ways in which democracy was stalled are identified below.

1. Suspension of the constitution: The military set aside the democratic constitution and ruled instead by decrees which could not be challenged in the courts, thereby destroying the supreme law that guaranteed democratic government.
2. Abolition of elective institutions: Elected legislatures at the federal and state levels were dissolved and no elections were held. Law-making, an essentially democratic function, was taken over by the Supreme Military Council or a Ruling Council.
3. Banning of political parties and political activity: Political parties were proscribed and open partisan activity was prohibited, denying citizens the freedom to organise and to compete for power through the ballot box.
4. Suppression of fundamental human rights: Freedom of speech, of the press and of association was curtailed, critics and journalists were detained without trial, and ouster clauses removed many matters from the jurisdiction of the courts.
5. Concentration of power and fusion of functions: Executive and legislative powers were fused in the military hierarchy, the principle of separation of powers was abandoned, and rule was by command from the top rather than by consent of the governed.

In these ways each military take-over halted the growth of democratic culture and institutions in Nigeria.