The Open Sore of a Continent

Major postcolonial political-philosophical essay — the proper African response to post-Independence authoritarianism.

"Nigeria the open sore — the wound that does not heal because the patient is not permitted to recover." (The Open Sore of a Continent)

Strong liberal-democratic-political commitments — the annulled 1993 election as paradigm democratic-political case.

"The 1993 election was the closest Nigeria has come to a free democratic process; its annulment was the abandonment of constitutional government." (The Open Sore of a Continent)

Critical-theoretical work on African military authoritarianism — Abacha as paradigm political pathology.

"The Abacha regime — the ‘negation of negation' of African political development — is not Nigeria's problem alone." (The Open Sore of a Continent)

Strong civic-republican commitment — citizenship and proper political community against military authoritarianism.

"Citizenship is the proper political relation; military rule destroys citizenship and reduces the political community to passive subjects." (The Open Sore of a Continent)

Continued classical-liberal commitments — rule of law, free press, free political participation.

"The rule of law, the free press, the right of political participation — these are not Western luxuries but universal human conditions of properly-political life." (The Open Sore of a Continent)

Cosmopolitan-political framework — Nigerian crisis as part of broader continental and global political work.

"The Nigerian crisis is a continental crisis is a global crisis; the political-philosophical work crosses borders." (The Open Sore of a Continent)