Gunning the Leviathans: Undying Presidencies, Term Limits, Changing Political Culture and the Mortification of Dire Political Transition in Africa

Abstract

The focal narrative in the literature on government and politics in Africa is sheathed
with the credence that the region has been governed by tyrants, despotic regimes
and political intrigues, abetting political transitions in belligerent awareness as a
result. This paper attempts to make a significant departure from this account by
interrogating the emerging political orders that deconstruct this primordial discourse
on the African socio-political landscape. It argues that the locus of political transition
has shifted from a long established political culture to a more mature democratic
orientation. It demonstrates that some African nations have evolved from political
pettiness to political adolescence. It concludes that the recent political transitions
that took place in some African nations represent a different type of regime change
that marks a momentous departure from the unwavering political culture previously
present in Africa.