This volume examines the political stalemate that has engulfed Nigeria in the 1990s. The annulment of the 1993 elections stopped the transition to civilian rule which had begun in 1987. In re-establishing its rule, the military relied increasingly on repressive measures. As rival elites have struggled to control the economy, the level of violence and general insecurity has increased. Often contending forces are perceived in religious terms, with the result that secular strife has become pronounced.
The military government has thereby been able to manipulate the complexities of religious, class and ethnic factors for its own purposes, with the result that increasing numbers of Nigerians have left the country.