Political+Traditions


 * __ Political Traditions __**

The Pre-colonial Era (800-1860) The pre-colonial era is characterized by confusing and often complicated political networks. Kingdoms were set up at all corners of Nigeria along popular trading routes, putting natives in contact with educated Arabs, and eventually causing the replacement of traditional political customs and traditions with Islamic principles and religious law, or shari’a. This gave a few elites authority and put all other citizens under their control. Outside of these kingdoms were small villages with leaders coming to power through family succession. Democratic impulses can also be observed in pre-colonial Nigeria through the popular principle of accountability, where leaders were seen as representatives of the people and could be removed if the people’s interests were not upheld. []

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The promising slave trade in Nigeria brought the first European traders in the mid-1800s. Britain soon came to dominate Nigeria, making it a British protectorate and setting up puppet governments within the country. The British ruled indirectly by putting chiefs in charge, accountable only to the British, of ensuring Britain’s economic interests. The British also brought Christianity with them, intensifying ethnic rifts between the Muslims and non-Muslims, and eventually creating three groups that are still the major political identities in Nigeria today: the Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yaruba. []
 * __ The Colonial Era (1860-1960) __**

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 * __ Post-independence (1960) __**

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom. The newly freed nation attempted to set up a parliamentary-style of government modeled after the British. The government was mainly a coalition of conservative parties - the [|Nigerian People's Congress] (NPC), a party dominated by Northerners and those of the [|Islamic] faith, and the [|Igbo] and Christian dominated [|National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons] (NCNC) led by [|Nnamdi Azikiwe], who became Nigeria's maiden [|Governor-General] in 1960. Their only opposition was the liberal [|Action Group] (AG), which was largely dominated by [|Yoruba people] and led by [|Obafemi Awolowo]. In, 1963 the newly elected President Azikiwe declared Nigeria a Federal Republic. []

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**__ Nigerian-Biafran War (1967-1970) __**

In 1966, the Hausa-Fulani formed a coalition with the Igbo to ensure a majority, causing a violent rivalry with the Yaruba and leading to an Igbo military take over. Several military coups followed, sparking the Igbo to fight to secede their land, called Biafra, from Nigeria under the leadership of Emeka Ojukwu. The Nigerian side attacked Biafra on July 6, 1967, starting the bloody 30 month civil war. Although the country managed to stay intact, ethnic strife now deepened and military regimes came to dominate.

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 * __ Military Era __**

The oil boom of the 1970s caused appalling corruption on all levels of government under the military rule of Olusegun Obansanjo. In 1979 he gave up power at an attempt for a return to Democracy to [|Shehu Shagari], but his government was corrupt and incompetent and there was soon a return to military rule after a coup by [|Mohammadu Buhari]. He promised major reform, but failed to do so and power was soon taken by [|Ibrahim Babangida] in 1985. He declared himself president and promised a return to democracy by 1990, although he didn’t actually give up power until the election of [|Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola] in 1993 and after much civilian uproar. However, General [|Sani Abacha] immediately seized control and became perhaps Nigeria’s most brutal leader in recent history. His regime would finally end in 1998 when he was found dead, after several years of violence and corruption. In 1999 Nigeria finally achieved a return to democracy with the election of [|Olusegun Obasanjo]. He was then reelected in 2003, and many are hopeful that his promise to end corruption and violence will bring stability the Nigerian politics and the country as a whole.

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