AZUBUIKE OBA

Africa personality and Leadership has been a major challenge to governance in the continent and this has brought crises coupled with policy inconsistency and summersault is no doubt serious problems confronting Nigeria and Africa.1 In the case of Nigeria, several policies, political and constitutional reforms and conferences have been put in place by previous regimes in order to address the question of leadership, development and good governance in Nigeria.2 It is against this backdrop this study seek to examine the influence of Africa personality on democracy with reference to President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Africa personality and Leadership has been a major challenge to governance in
the continent and this has brought crises coupled with policy inconsistency and
summersault is no doubt serious problems confronting Nigeria and Africa.1 In the case of Nigeria, several policies, political and constitutional reforms and conferences have been put in place by previous regimes in order to address the question of leadership, development and good governance in Nigeria.2 It is against this backdrop this study seek to examine the influence of Africa personality on democracy with reference to President Goodluck Jonathan administration. The phrase “African Personality” has become rather common in the social and political utterances of many contemporary African leaders and intellectuals. Whatever meaning can rightly be regarded as its ardent prompter and spokesman.3 Indeed, just before the first Conference of Independent African States held in Accra, in April 1958, Nkrumah had this say: For too long in our history, Africa has spoken through the voices of others. Now what I have called African Personality international affairs will have a chance of
making its proper impact and will let the world know it through the voices of Africa’s own sons.4 Since this great proclamation of the phrase by Nkrumah, other African thinkers have made use of the same concept with somewhat different meanings and interpretations. 8 Quaison-Sackey, for instance, thinks of the African Personality” in terms of cultural expression of what is common to all peoples whose home is on the continent of Africa. Ki-Zerbo defines it in terms of the “goal of all the efforts and the sacrifices of African nationalist, many of whose blood was spilled and who died for the development of this personality.”