Above politics? Ex-military leaders in Nigerian electoral politics. Issue 4 (19th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Angerbrandt, Henrik; Themnér, Anders
• Is Part Of: Democratization. Volume 28:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 782
• Page End: 800
• Publication Date: 2021-05-19
• Subjects: Big Men -- democratic consolidation -- ex-generals -- military -- Nigeria; Democracy -- Periodicals; Economic history -- 1990- -- Periodicals; Democratization -- Periodicals; 321.8
• DOI: 10.1080/13510347.2020.1866552
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0347

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In countries transitioning from military to democratic rule, authoritarian legacies often continue to influence politics. Whereas previous research has focused on the institutional causes of such deficiencies, there is a lack of studies examining the role ex-military leaders who re-emerge as civilian presidents have in sustaining authoritarian tendencies. In this article, we begin to fill this lacuna by investigating the question: how and under which conditions do ex-military leaders' political identity constructions affect their tendency to place themselves above politics (i.e. expressing the attitude and behaviour of being superior to democratic rules)? The literature on neo-patrimonialism and post-civil war politics points to the importance of the political identities of ex-militaries, and we propose a theory that highlights the role identity construction plays in shaping elites' decision-making processes. Based on a comparison of two Nigerian presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, we find that ex-generals' tendency to engage in politics from above is largely a function of to what extent they have diversified their political identities beyond their role as "militaries". In this process, the degree of democratic consolidation also seems to play a role; ex-militaries operating in newly established democracies appear to have more opportunities to place themselves above politics.