Citizen action and the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria: a study of the 2007 movement

Abstract

This chapter is about the struggle to consolidate democratic gains in Nigeria through citizen mobilization, following President Olusegun Obasanjo’s attempt to change the constitution in order to prolong his tenure in office for a third term. It examines the mobilization of an anti-third term camp, which was drawn from Nigeria’s parliament, civil society, opposition parties and the popular masses. In particular, we will focus closely on the role played by the 2007 Movement, a coalition of parliamentarians who formed the nucleus of the opposition to the tenure extension bid. This fierce battle for the soul of Nigeria’s democracy, which was openly fought by pro- and anti-third term groups between January 2005 and May 2006, was resolved when the National Assembly moved to throw out the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which (if passed) would have made Obasanjo’s tenure extension a reality. Owing to copyright restrictions, only the first 3 pages are attached, together with a link to the book at Zed Books