The African Culture of Forgiveness and the Formation of Government of National Unity in Africa: The Nigeria Experience
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Date
2013-07
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African Journal of Peace and Security
Abstract
This paper studies the impact of the African traditional culture of forgiveness on the efforts at bringing about political stability and democratic consolidation in Africa using Nigeria as a case study. The research findings which were sourced from secondary data shows that the traditional culture of forgiveness has largely been used successfully across African countries as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to resolve protracted disputes. Such culture of forgiveness as applied to the resolution of political disputes in Nigeria through the establishment of Government of National Unity (GNU) has helped to stabilise the country’s polity and thus promoted democratic consolidation. However, in spite of the central role of GNU as a viable socio-political dispute resolution and emotional healing mechanism, the strategy has some pitfalls for political processes and democratic consolidation in Nigeria. The study reveals further that since the establishment of party alliances and government of national unity in the country right from the first republic, none has worked adequately within the range of an unconditional forgiving spirit owing to the fact that the issues that are associated with Nigeria’s disunity are contradictions that are far beyond political disputes. There is unwholesome federal structure arrangement in Nigeria that is contrary to normal functional federal practices all over the world. The issue of national unity in Nigeria has been forced on the federating units and interwoven with ethnic loyalty. The above divisions have created some kinds of conundrum in the polity without sufficient forgiving spirit. Any federal arrangement that benefits one region at overwhelming disadvantages to the others cannot last. This seeming divides underscore the need to renegotiate the basis of Nigeria’s national unity through a sovereign national conferences to address disagreements and perceived marginalisation amongst different groups in Nigeria.