Abstract
“« Democracy is good, » says Godwin Eweye, a video-store owner, « but Nigeria is not yet fully democratic. »” A few days only after Nigeria's 2003 parliamentary elections, this local comment illustrates the enduring difficulties that the country faces in its attempt to consolidate its young democracy. After more than thirty years of nearly uninterrupted military rule, Nigeria experienced in 2003 its first successful civilian-to-civilian transition, when former general Olusegun Obasanjo was elected president for the second time after his 1999 victory. Mr Obasanjo was already known for being the only Nigerian military ruler ever to have stepped down in favour a civilian government in 1979, and he is considered “a decent man” by most observers and foreign powers.
Still, his efforts to transform the most populous country in Africa into a consolidated democracy stumble upon huge obstacles, stemming mostly from the army's awful record in ruling the country. In his first term President Obasanjo has taken courageous steps toward bringing the military under civilian control, but two very delicate issues remain to be addressed. First, the long-lasting ethnic conflicts that have plagued the country since independence show no sign of fading, especially in the highly sensitive region of the Niger Delta, where most of the countries oil reserves are concentrated. Second, the economic situation is disastrous, living standards are among the lowest in the developing world, and the debt burden is crippling. Hidden behind both concerns is endemic corruption and state pillage at all levels of government, a situation that President Obasanjo has not yet attempted to tackle correctly.
