Coup d’états in Africa: A cure or prophylactic for good governance?

Abstract

Military Coups in Africa share a “cause-and-effect” relationship with civilian mal-administration, by way of the military auditing, disrupting and helping to arrest or capture, and re-organize defective governance system in politically sick-nations. This aim appears consistent with the mandate of the Military to serve, protect and defend the national interests, therefore, turning coups into constitutional cure and prophylactic? The analysis in this paper is conducted under the concept of Military-Coup-Symbiosis: consisting of mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. Military-Coup-Symbiosis espouses the cyclical nature of military-takeovers, and the beneficial effects on democracy in general. It also rationalizes the justification why coups are bound to co-exist with civilian governments, for as long as political leaders continue to support and engage in De-democratization processes, exhibiting inimical conducts such as neopatrimonialism, and non-meritorious job recruitment and promotions. This paper investigates the possible curative qualities of military coups on good governance by posing as perpetual threat caution to democracy, and the normative values as political prophylactic to arrest and prevent potential leadership abuses. The ultimate question is how military interventions in politics can be harnessed to clean up mal-administration in politically sick-nations?