Civil Rule, Power Shift and Survival of the Nigerian State

Abstract

The recognition of the unity in diversity inherent in the Nigerian socio- political framework was one of the major factors that made the architects of the 1979 second republican constitution to opt for the presidential system of government. Secondly, to forestall the revival of the centrifugal forces that characterized the first republican leaders that led to its collapse. Typical of the above scenario was the annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential elections acclaimed to have been won by a southerner. The return to civil rule in 1999 had a Southerner as President perhaps to balance the political equation of North- South slot in power shift thesis. One of the greatest threats to Nigeria’sunity in diversity is the quest to occupy the presidency pre and post 1999 at all costs. This is the crux of power struggle that has led to the instability of the political system. The study attempts to find out the factors responsible for the fall out of power shift authors in the polity. Data were drawn from secondary sources including books, journals, newspapers, and magazines. Our findings show that power shift or zoning is elitist, ethnic, and sentimental to elicit blind support from malnourished leadership and followership. This is orchestrated by the patrimonial rentier mono-economy that is non-transcendental. We recommend that since Nigeria is a multi-ethnic state; no one ethnic group should superimpose itself. Let there be caution, moderation, statehood, nationalism among the political class not to steer Nigeria into conflict galvanized and driven by personal aggrandizement.