Abstract
There is broad consensus among millennials, academics, policy makers, and civil-society representatives that the current African political classes have not succeeded in their mission to build nations characterised by justice and progress. Despite their failures, the established political class has forcefully maintained their stranglehold on power. They have also positioned a blockade on the corridors of power to prevent the emergence of a new generation of leaders. Young African men and women are taking a stand against the current politics in their nations and they are attempting to prepare the way for societies that are less hierarchical and patriarchal. Even though new youth movements are springing up from urban cultures and suburban areas, the task of unseating long-term political stalwarts remains elusive. This chapter focuses on some of the key dynamics that young Africans must consider in order to emerge from the shadows of political strongmen. The chapter begins with a detailed account of the origins of strongman mentality. A mapping of the mindset of the typical African strongman follows this with a robust analysis of how strongmen consolidate their power base. Towards the end of the chapter, the discussion illuminates many of the specific stumbling blocks put in place by strongmen and explores reasons why young Africans have been unable to mount a formidable challenge.
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Ojo, A. (2022). Understanding Political Strongmen and Rising Out of Their Shadows. In: Social Revolutions and Governance Aspirations of African Millennials. SpringerBriefs in Political Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88546-5_3
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