Nigerian Elite and the Death of Democratic Promise

"Nigerian Elite and the Death of Democratic Promise" is a scholarly article (or book chapter) by political scientist Rotimi T. Suberu, published in 2005. It examines how Nigeria’s post‑military political elite—particularly former military officers, business magnates, and regional power brokers—undermined the country’s democratic transition after 1999. Suberu argues that elite patronage networks, corruption, and the manipulation of electoral processes eroded public trust, weakened institutions, and stalled the fulfillment of democratic promises made during the return to civilian rule. The work highlights the gap between Nigeria’s formal democratic framework and the reality of elite‑driven politics that perpetuated authoritarian practices under... Views Nigeria