Nigeria's Struggle for Democracy
By Nick Grace
June 25, 1998
The push for democracy has exploded within Nigeria since Gen. Sani Abacha died, reportedly of an heart attack, two weeks ago. The new acting head of state, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, appears to lean towards conciliation with the activists in order to secure a future for the Nigerian military, which has ruled Nigeria for 28 out of 38 years since independence in 1960 - and has created widespread resentment, corruption and nepotism.
The Nigerian democratic movement is based largely in the South, particularly in Lagos and Ibadan, where the people are Christian Yorubas. The military, on the other hand, is dominated by Islamic Hausa-speaking peoples - who the activists say are politically neutralizing the Yorubas.
A spokeswoman for Radio Yoruba who spoke on condition of anonymity states that the station hopes that it can impact the pace of reform in Nigeria, but that history shows it will not be easy.
Part of the challenge for the democracy movement is the lack of organization and centralization. Nigeria's airwaves is already the competitive field for five different opposition groups and their respective clandestine stations. Programs are mainly in English to target both the northerners and southerners, and often tend to play off one another with criticism. Any lasting effect needs to be coordinated among the groups since all share the same foe.
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