MILITARY AND DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA 1999- 2025

The study explores the historical, political, and socio-economic factors that have contributed to military stability in Nigeria since 1999. The first objective of the study is to demonstrate the pattern of civil-military relations from 1960 to 1999, the second is to show the pattern or nature of civil-military relations since 1999, the third, explain the relative stability since 1999, and lastly, to make recommendations on how to ensure continued civil-military relations. The study revealed that though the military handed over power to a civilian government in 1999, the fourth Republic, it did not return to the barracks; from time to time, the military still delved into the Nigerian political sphere in different ways. One factor among many that led to the involvement of the military in the political sphere of the nation is the fact that the Nigerian Police force which is constitutional charged with the responsibility of tackling internal security challenges is handicapped due to poor funding, inadequate equipment and lack of adequate training to handle the Internal Security Operations (ISOs). These inadequacies have often led civilian authorities to heavily rely on the expertise of the military (Army, Air Force, and Navy) to manage internal security challenges. The study concludes that military interventions in the Nigerian fourth Republic have been characterised by violations and infringements of civic rights, disobedience of court orders, total disregard of human dignity, and destruction of lives and properties, which has led to mistrust and an increase in the gap among the different regions of the country. Keywords: Civil-military relations, military coup, political stability, military stability, democratic consolidation, professionalism of the military, authoritarian rule.