The national conference as a model for democratic transition : Benin and Nigeria - E-book - Multi-format

The aim of this study is to examine critically the possibility of institutionalizing the national conference as a model for transition to democracy in Africa. There are basically two types of national conference: one with limited autonomy and the other with soveragrt powers. The Benin Republic instituted a national conference with sovereign powers which culminated in political democracy for the country; Nigeria opted for a national conference with limited autonomy.
This analysis focuses primarily on the experiences of these two countries. Reference is, however, made to other countries where these models have been tried, to enrich our understanding of this method of democratization.