UNILORIN don blames governance failures for W’Africa coups

A Professor of Political Science at the University of Ilorin, Emmanuel Ojo, has warned that West Africa risks being trapped in a cycle of military takeovers and counter-takeovers if governments fail to address growing governance challenges and declining public confidence in democratic institutions.

Ojo gave the warning on Wednesday in Ibadan while delivering the fourth annual guest lecture of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Koladaisi University.

The lecture was titled, “Resurgence of Military Coups in Africa: A Prognosis.”

He said the increasing number of military interventions in parts of Africa, particularly the Sahel region, was linked to widespread dissatisfaction with civilian governments over insecurity, economic difficulties, unemployment and perceived leadership failures.

According to him, weak governance and declining trust in democratic institutions have created conditions where military rule is increasingly presented by some citizens as an alternative to elected governments.

“The resurgence is concentrated in the Sahel region of the continent, but the fear is that it could become contagious,” Ojo said.

He noted that many African countries embraced democratic governance after decades of military rule, but recent unconstitutional changes of government showed that democratic gains remained fragile in several countries.

The professor identified weak democratic consolidation, legitimacy crises, poor institutional capacity, economic challenges, fragile national identity and external interference as factors contributing to the return of military interventions.

He argued that failure by political leaders to deliver inclusive development and accountable governance could continue to weaken civilian administrations.

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“As long as African states remain economically subservient and militarily penetrated by foreign interests through the establishment of military bases, the barracks will continue to present themselves as alternatives to political authority,” Ojo said.

He also linked growing support for some military governments to resentment among young Africans over perceived foreign domination and exploitative political and economic structures.

Tracing the history of coups on the continent from the 1952 military takeover in Egypt to recent developments in countries such as Guinea-Bissau, Ojo said the fundamental drivers of military interventions had remained largely consistent.

He urged African governments to prioritise transparency, accountability and people-centred policies, stressing that stronger democratic institutions, improved civil-military relations, and economic development were essential to preventing further military takeovers.

Earlier, the Acting Director of Research and Development at Koladaisi University, Temitope Bello, described the lecture as relevant amid growing concerns over democratic instability across Africa.

Bello said recent unconstitutional changes of government had raised critical questions about democratic consolidation, governance failures, constitutionalism and regional security.

She added that the university’s lecture series was designed to encourage informed discussions on governance and security issues affecting the continent.

The Dean, Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences, Sekinat Kola-Aderoju, also attributed the persistence of military coups in Africa to underdevelopment, weak political structures and external vulnerabilities.

She urged students and researchers to examine lessons from recent developments across the continent and contribute to efforts aimed at strengthening democratic governance.