NIGERIA

Part 2

Public Opinion and Political Participation

historically, citizens have been encouraged to relate to the government as subjects

gradual emergence of civil society [realm outside of government influence]: professional associations, trade unions, , religious and interest groups
relatively free press despite military rule prebendalism/ patron-clientism: large patronage networks based on personal loyalty
accompanied by corruption and informal influence established form of political participation in Nigeria

 civil society: serves as both centripetal force (encouraging Nigerian unity) and centrifugal force (causing fragmentation along cleavage lines) MOSOP: Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
founded by dissident Ken Saro-Wiwa

NUPENG: National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers

support workers in all-important petroleum industry

formal associations for legal, medical and journalism professions

 voting behavior: although voting has taken place in Nigeria since 1959, irregularity of elections makes tracking of voting patterns difficult numerous, fluid political parties, and personalized, charismatic leadership makes party loyalty an imperfect reflection of voter attitudes low level of trust in government, cynicism questionable commitment by elites to democracy Nigeria ranked very low in Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index

Corruption Perception Index 2008, 2009

Country CPI Score Rank

2008

2009

2008

2009

China
Iran Mexico Nigeria Russia

3.6
2.3 3.6 2.7 2.1

3.6
1.8 3.3 2.5 2.2

72:146**
141:146 72:146** 121:146 147:146

79:180
168:180 89:180 130:180 146:180

United Kingdom

7.7

7.7

16:146

17:180

 protest, participation, social movements:

mobilization of ethnic-based and religious movements to pressure the federal government to address their grievances major targets: international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta oil fields economy: British controlled the economy during colonialism, and economy remains under state control today but, internal conditions have forced Nigeria to turn to supranational organizations World Bank, IMF for help in restructuring the country linkange institutions: Since democratization is so incomplete, linkage institutions are new and fluid

political institutions
many regime types over course of Nigerias history pre-colonial: well developed, large states with hereditary monarchies in north and west small kinship-based rule in south colonial: British imposition of indirect authoritarian rule independence: military-style regimes beginning in 1966 today, federalist and democratic (formally)

 political parties:
based on region and ethnicity extreme factionalism personalization 3 parties in 2007 election:
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) All Nigeria People S Party (ANPP) Action Congress (AC)

Independent National Election Commission (INEC)

attempted to impose qualification for running for legislature nad president reduced number of eligible parties widely accused of fraud

 elections and election procedures: voting on 3 levels: local, state, national

national election: vote for President, House of Representatives and Senator from their state Presidential election requires 25% of all votes cast in 2/3rd of states

election fraud
international observers concluded that elections were corrupt candidates assassinated, voters purged from rolls, protests in 2007 led to violence and deaths of 200 people

Interest groups: some civil society organizations cooperate with political parties many based on religion Christian Association of Nigeria Muslim organizations supported the sharia court system also labor unions, student groups, populist groups labor unions: before military oppression, these were organized, independent and politically influential
Influence now limited through corporatism: only government approved interest groups can provide feedback to the government Nigeria Labor Congress organized a successful general strike to protest increases in fuel prices and taxes

business interests: sometimes collaborated with the military, sometimes promote economic reform Human Rights groups: loosely organized but active media: independent press, openly criticizes the government

Institutions of National Government

theoretically a federal political system

Constitutions provide for a presidential system with 3 branches of government, but executive has dominated
each of 36 states and local governments have executives and judiciaries, but now totally dependent on the central government neither checks and balances are functioning

the executive under military rule:

all promised transition to democracy many used repressive tactics all military and civilian administrations concentrated power in executive office

 patrimonialism: general/president heads a patron-client system, dispenses jobs/resources as rewards to supporters bureaucracy: bloated, inefficient and corrupt parastatals: government agencies = state-owned corporations, designated to provide commercial and social welfare services
public utilities, transportation, agricultural support, steel, defense products, petroleum corporatism: government allows political input from selected interest groups outside the government structure state corporatism: input provided by parastatals

 the legislature:
post-1979: presidential system with a bicameral legislature: The National Assembly
Senate: 109 Senators, elected by direct popular vote House of Representatives: 360 members from single-member districts

legislature as a check on executive power: none under military governments, limited under presidential governments

the judiciary:
originally, Nigerian courts combined British common law with traditional/customary law (including sharia in North) eventually undermined by military rule, judicial review suspended, judges compromised Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, and single unified system at national and state levels

 the military:
strong force in policymaking military in government vs. military in barracks
has led to internal discord frequently blocked democratic reforms but one of the few institutions that is truly national in character

 public policy
top-down policymaking process power concentrated in presidency, advisors placed through patron clientelism loyalty pyramid:
State controls resources, only access from within

assumption that military/political elite serve only their own self-interest result of a system put in place in colonial era
need to revive the communalism of pre-colonial era democratic rule: requires that political leaders assume responsibility for welfare of constituents, not patrons

 economic issues
Nigerias wealth has been squandered country is deep in debt, people live in poverty disappearance of oil revenue: complicated by ethnic and regional hostilities and widespread distrust of the government revenue sharing: allow government to collect oil revenue and pool them into a federal account
theoretically, entire country would benefit practically, Niger Delta region objects strongly

a rentier state:
(a) economy heavily supported by state (b) state heavily dependent on rent from other countries (c) state leases its resources rent seeking behavior: individuals, groups, and communities compete for the governments hand outs reinforces patronclientelism

most Nigerians are cut out, left to participate in the informal economy