Power and Politics in Africa, the Nigerian perspective: A Reexamination of Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah

Abstract

After more than half a century of political independence, majority of African Countries are still saddled with the same challenging political leadership interrogations and difficulties. Careful analytical studies attribute this misfortune to her successive leaders or stakeholders at all levels. This one political malady or anathema which has continually kept Africa in a state of perpetual retrogression, is believed to have been birthed from its pragmatism, the illegitimate use of power and the egocentric styles of her political leaders characterized by pocket or belly-leadership as opposed to a people-oriented leadership, coupled with the menace of prevalent ethnic and/or sectional loyalty. Nevertheless, several authors, critics and political analysts have attempted to proffer some form of explanations to these perennial challenges of power and politics in Africa, nay Nigeria. One of such exponents is Chinua Achebe. This paper tends therefore to reexamine the sociopolitical and economic predicaments of power, politics and other related challenges that have greatly shattered the foundation of Nigerian Polity in Chinua Achebe’s novel Anthills of the Savannah. The method employed in the study is critical analysis. It also intends to advocate for a systemic ideology that could bring about possible and desirable pattern changes for a virtuous progressive leadership. Key words: Power, Politics, Africa, Leadership, Practicability and Literality.

Keywords

• power
• politics
• africa
• leadership
• practicability
• littérature