AFRICA AND THE PHENOMENON OF SIT-TIGHT DICTATORSHIP

Abstract

The paper focuses on Africa and the phenomenon of sit-tight dictatorship. The high expectations of the people that democracy and governance would reverse decades of poverty, corruption and underdevelopment have hardly been met and these can be credited to some undemocratic practices such as sit-tight leaderships in Africa. The paper examines the reasons Africans tolerate Constitutions with no time limits on presidential terms in office, the reasons it is difficult for some African leaders to relinquish power as against the constitutional provisions and the reasons African countries cum people are tolerant of long–serving sit-tight dictators. The study is anchored on the Power Theory/Political Realism. Hence, the paper employs qualitative/secondary data methodology for data collection which focuses on the use of internet materials, books, journals, conference papers etc. to gather data. The paper examines the mechanism used by African leaders in achieving sit-tight dictatorship and the causative factors enabling it. The study equally takes a critical look at the historical context in Africa and how it influences sit-tight syndrome and tenure elongation in Africa. From all indications, it was discovered that sit–tight dictatorship in Africa has negative implication on the development, security and primitive accumulation (corruption) in Africa. Based on historical evidence, the paper observes that sit-tight dictatorial tendencies is mostly pronounced in Africa right from the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial realities, and as such, this phenomenon comes with its attendant consequences of poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment. This paper therefore recommends that, to combat the menace of sit-tight dictatorship in Africa, there is need for concerted efforts by all and sundry to safeguard liberal democracy that stipulates constitutional office term or tenure system as central tenet or rules of engagement for African leaders. Also, it is recommended that African Union (AU) and other regional bodies like ECOWAS should constantly mobilize resources to campaign and institutionalize a policy for zero tolerance to sit-tight dictatorship in Africa.