Synopses & Reviews
Celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original publication of Richard Joseph's seminal book Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria, this state-of-the-field collection brings together some of the leading names in academic research on Nigeria for a creative and robust engagement with Nigeria's experiments and experiences with liberal democracy. What kinds of transformations have marked or defined political praxes since 1987, and are these sufficient to vitiate the prebendal principle as a methodological and conceptual tool for understanding Nigerian political life? Indeed, is the prebendal principle still operative? If so, how salient is it, and what new trajectories has it assumed against the backcloth of emergent class, ethno-regional, and religious realignments? What comparative insights are attainable from juxtaposing Nigeria's clientelistic model with processes in other African countries? One dimension of Joseph's analysis is the leading role of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and the 'Kaduna Mafia' in the encrustation of what the author described as a 'Northern primacy'. The NPN is no more, while the 'Kaduna Mafia' has all but receded into an even more shadowy existence. But is 'Northern primacy' in Nigerian politics a thing of the past? If not, how is that 'primacy' still enacted, and what is the role of the 'Kaduna Mafia' - or indeed other forms of 'embryonic state class' such as Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum, and the various corporate subalternities challenging these classes - in the enactment? What is the role of oil (a seemingly marginal presence in Joseph's analysis) in the hardening of 'economic statism' in Nigeria, and what concrete connections are discernible between the structure of elite accumulation in Nigeria, and the opportunities that are part and parcel of neoliberal capitalism? How has religion melded with class and ethno-regional categories, and in what ways, if any, has religiosity contributed to nascent expressions of prebendalism? Across varied methodologies and disciplinary backgrounds (including anthropology, political science, sociology and history) these and other pertinent questions raised by the politics of prebendalism in a democraticcontext receive a penetrating and comprehensive analysis.
Review
Review
"At once smartly guided by theoretical concerns, and thoroughly engaged with the complicated and varied realities of Nigerian society and byzantine politics, the essays in this first-rate collection are essential reading to anyone who wishes to understand why a country with so much potential remains mired in poverty." - Nicolas van de Walle, Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Government, Cornell University, USA
"Adebanwi and Obadare, two of the leading lights of a new generation of African social scientists, have skillfully assembled an intergenerational mix of long-term students of politics, economy, and society in contemporary Nigeria that will offer readers considerable food for thought about the history of the organization and use of power and resources in Africa's most populous country. Their contribution, as much for the quality of the arguments marshaled as for the variety and cogency of issues covered, will make this book a compulsory companion for all those interested in gaining a more robust understanding of the dynamics that have combined together over the years to make Nigeria continuously under-perform at huge cost to itself and, indeed, all of Africa." - Adebayo Olukoshi, Director, UN African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP)
"Drawing in diverse ways upon Richard Joseph's seminal treatment of prebendalism, the contributors to this excellent volume illuminates the contradictions of 'really existing' democracy in Nigeria and its many predatory aspects. An invaluable guide to postcolonial Nigeria, the book is a major contribution to understanding African politics more broadly." - Crawford Young, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
"The contributors to this volume use the prism of prebendalism to look at the permanent struggle in Nigeria over access to public resources, which structures the way Nigerians perceive citizenship, shapes the country's complex and sometimes contentious ethnic dynamics, and contributes to growing social inequality." – Nicolas van de Walle, Foreign Affairs
Synopsis
Richard Joseph's seminal 1987 book Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria represented a watershed moment in the understanding of the political dynamics of Nigeria. This groundbreaking collection brings together scholars from across disciplines to assess the significance of Joseph's work and the current state of Nigerian politics.
Synopsis
Celebrating the original publication of Richard Joseph's seminal book Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria, this state-of-the-field collection brings together leading scholars of Nigeria for a creative and robust engagement with the nation's experiments and experiences with liberal democracy. They explore a range of issues central to Nigerian politics today, including major developments since the 1980s, the role of petroleum, factors related to religion and class, and the question of whether prebendal clientelism is even a useful model for understanding the current state of Nigerian democracy. Across varied methodologies and disciplinary backgrounds, these and other pertinent questions receive a penetrating and comprehensive analysis.
About the Author
Wale Adebanwi is Associate Professor in the Program in African American and African Studies, University of California, Davis, USA.
Ebenezer Obadare is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Kansas, USA.
Table of Contents
Preface - Larry Diamond
Introduction: Democracy and Prebendalism: Emphases, Provocations, And Elongations - Ebenezer Obadare and Wale Adebanwi
PART I
The Roots of Neopatrimonialism: Opposition Politics and Popular Consent in Southwest Nigeria - Leena Hoffmann and Insa Nolte
Prebendalism and the People: The Price of Petrol at the Pump - Jane Guyer and LaRay Denzer
Prebendal Politics and Federal Governance in Nigeria - Rotimi Suberu
Elite Competition, Institutional Change and Political Responsibility - E. Remi Aiyede
Beyond Prebendal Politics: Class and Political Struggles in post-Colonial Nigeria - 'Kunle Amuwo
Positions of Security and the Security of Position: Bureaucratic Prebendalism Inside the State - Olly Owen
PART II
Hausa Traditional Political Culture, Islam and Democracy: Historical Perspectives on Three Political Traditions - Muhammad S. Umar
Mediating Justice: Youths, Media and 'Affective Justice' in the Politics of Northern Nigeria - Conerly Casey
Decolonization, Ethno-Regionalism, and the Origins of Federalism in Nigeria - Olufemi Vaughan, Bowdoin College
Radical Insecurity and Rugged Lives: The Politics of Youth in Nigeria - David Pratten
PART III: reconsiderations
Epilogue - Richard Joseph