Abstract
The transfer of political power from one civilian regime to another in West Africa have often been accompanied by violence promoted by desires of parties in power to consolidate their grips on power and by opposition parties interest to capture same by hook or crook in some other cases. The attitudes of the electorates of making themselves available to the politicians to be use in promoting elections and post-election violence itself is not helping the development of democracy and party politics in the west Africa. Conducted with the use of quantitative research methodology, this essay examines the relationship between political culture and democratic transition in West Africa. It examines the political behaviors and attitudes of people in the region towards transfer of political power from one to another civilian regime. Experiences gathered from such development in Nigeria were also examined in the study. The work also examines the need for attitudinal and paradigm shift in relations to democratic transition in West Africa and Nigeria in particular. What causes election and post-election violence, how are these violence sponsored and why should these conflicts be avoided are some of the major questions examined in this work. The work is also written with ideas drawn from the works of great comparative and behaviorists Political Scholars like Gabriel Almond, David Easton,
Highlights
In countries situated west of Africa, democratic development and party politics are often undermined by political behaviors of people garnished by political party interests to consolidate their grips on control of state power for life
Party politics in this region of the continent itself is operated based on zero sum game theory basis-situation that contributes to the tense nature of struggle to capture and retain political power in the region
In West Africa and Nigeria in particular, both elite and mass political cultures and the behaviors of both the ruling elites and governed masses put together play a serious role in determining the democratic development of a country
Summary
In countries situated west of Africa, democratic development and party politics are often undermined by political behaviors of people garnished by political party interests to consolidate their grips on control of state power for life. In the tiny West African state of Gambia, Yahaya Jameh succeeded himself by civilianizing into a plain cloth head of government Till date he has consecutively influence the parliament to amend the country constitution especially n related to tenure limits which has been making it possible for him to contest, manipulate and consolidate his grip on state power. Tanjas intention to manipulate Nigers presidential tenure limit provided by law of the country resulted into military takeover of government and suspension of democratic processes in the country These unethical political behaviors of politicians contributed in the low paste of democratic development recorded in the West African state of Nigeria where most of the vital years of the nation shortly after political independence were wasted under military rule
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