Leadership crisis in Africa: contextualising African leaders' obsession with power

Abstract

After many years of struggle, the African masses obtained political independence from their colonial masters. This brought optimism about the future of the African continent, but once the African leadership tasted power they soon discovered why their predecessors were reluctant to relinquish it. They did all they could to remain in office. A few years later, the new crop of African leaders vowed to stop this practice but ended up doing the same thing once they ascended to power. This article contextualises African obsession with power by discussing both exogenous and endogenous factors that have sustained this undesirable practice to date.