POLITICAL ASSASSINATION AND NIGERIA’S 4TH REPUBLIC: 1999-2007

Durotoye, Adeolu (2014) POLITICAL ASSASSINATION AND NIGERIA’S 4TH REPUBLIC: 1999-2007. Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management, 3 (11). pp. 1-8.

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Abstract

Not long after the return to democratic rule in 1999 following 15 years of uninterrupted military rule, Nigeria witnessed a troubling wave of political assassination. Political assassination became an instrument of settling political scores in Nigeria. Although some of the killings were discountenanced as ordinary murders, the timing of killings leaves no doubt that they were politically motivated. Actions by the government and police to stem the ugly tide and find the killers were insufficient and ineffective. This paper examines this subject from the standpoint that there is no real democracy where people are afraid to engage in political competition for fear of being assassinated. Hence, political assassination constitutes serious danger to Nigeria’s democracy . The paper reviews incidents of political assassination in Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, and proffers reasons for the unhealthy development, using narrative-analytical approach to accomplish its tasks. It concludes by suggesting ways of stopping or at least discouraging political assassination in Nigeria. For the purposes of this article, political assassination is defined as the deliberate, premeditated murder of a prominent figure for political reasons.

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