By: Godwin Onuh Odeh, PhD The surge of recent military coups in Africa, witnessed in Niger Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Madagas...
By: Godwin Onuh Odeh, PhD
The surge of recent military coups in Africa, witnessed in Niger Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau, and the claimed botched coup in Benin Republic, among others, points to the crisis of democracy and the quest for alternative government. The recent democratic upheavals in Cameroon and Tanzania add another dimension to the crisis of politics, development, and governance in Africa.
This crisis appears to be a failure of democracy to address the prime needs of the people. As Okpeh notes, "democracy that fails to tap into the needs of the people is a democracy that is standing on one bad leg; a democracy that is comatose" (Odeh, The 2015 Historic Presidential Election in Nigeria: A Contribution to African Revolutionary Framework, 2015). The African Union (AU) and ECOWAS condemn military coups, but fail to address the underlying issues of leadership and development deficit that lead to unconstitutional seizures of power (Odeh, African Union Should Suspend Bad Leaders instead of Suspending Member States for Military Coup, Caliphate Times, 2025).
In Sudan, President Omar Al Bashir was deposed in 2019 after thirty years in power; in Mali, the democratically elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was toppled by the military in 2020, while in Niger Republic, President Mohamed Bazoum suffered a similar fate in 2023. Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon was deposed in 2023, Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was ousted in 2022, and Guinea's President Alpha Condé was toppled in 2021. Most recently, President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar (2025), President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau (November 26, 2025), and President Patrice Talon (December 7, 2025), with the interior minister, Alassane Seidou, reporting the president safe.
Western global democracy appears to be crumbling and failing in Africa. Instead of the AU and ECOWAS addressing the fundamental issues of leadership and development deficit that fertilize the ground for unconstitutional seizures of power, they are bent on quickly condemning military coups (Odeh, 2025). The challenges of terrorism, insecurity, and poor governance in Africa raise concerns about the notion that democratic rule is better than military regime.
The current Africa's insecurity, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is worse than the military eras of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. It appears that Africans' economic conditions were better then than they are now, with lower levels of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. Western-style democracy is not working in Africa, and some argue that it should be adapted to African culture as argued by the late General Sani Abacha, that we should forget about American definition of democracy and fashioned democracy based on our soil (Odeh, 2025).
The failure of Western-style democracy in Africa is not a justification for authoritarianism, but rather an opportunity to explore alternative models of governance that prioritize the needs of the people. Ideas of Ujamaa espoused by Julius Nyerere, African socialism, Renaissance Africa, and irredentism espoused by the likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Azikwe, Awolowo, Nwafor Orizu, etc., offer valuable insights into how governance systems can be designed to prioritize the needs of the people and promote community development.
Policymakers in Africa and leaders should look inward and come up with a blueprint of the system of governance that best suits our soil. A system that checks unbridled corruption, and the tendencies of African leaders succumbing or degenerating to authoritarianism and puts at the front burner the welfare of the African people.
The current situation in Africa requires a holistic approach, addressing the root causes of instability and insecurity. This includes investing in education, healthcare, and economic development, as well as promoting good governance and the rule of law. Africa needs a system that is tailored to its unique cultural, historical, and social context.
Moreover, African leaders must prioritize accountability, transparency, and participatory governance. They must ensure that the benefits of democracy are felt by all citizens, and that the gap between the rich and the poor is bridged. The youth, who are the majority in most African countries, must be given opportunities to participate in the decision-making process and be empowered to contribute to the development of their countries.
In conclusion, the recent military coups in Africa are a symptom of a deeper crisis of politics, development, and governance. To address this crisis, Africa needs a new approach to democracy, one that prioritizes the needs of the people and promotes accountable, transparent, and participatory governance.
Dr. Godwin Onuh Odeh,
Public Affairs Analyst and Commentator,
Department of History and International Studies,
Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
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