Liberal Democracy Conundrum: Examining the Impact of Term Limit Extension on Liberal Democracy in Africa

The main objective of this study was examined the impact of presidential term limit extension on liberal democracy in Africa. Majority of citizens from most Africa states oppose term limit extension, yet during referendums the same citizen approve this term extensions. This study adopted a mixed methodological approach by utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research design method. Secondary data was used in this study. Data was extracted from previous studies on presidential term limits in Africa; local newspapers and international newspapers, international reports such as UNDP Human Development Index reports; Freedom House Democratization Index reports, Human Rights Watch reports, the Heritage Economic Freedom Index and the Ibrahim Index of Africa Governance for 2017. The major findings show that show that the rationale for term limits is to enhance democratic consolidation and alternation of power. The impact of term limits extension on liberal democracy is democratic recession, autocratism, and personalization of the state by incumbency. The reasons why term limits succeeded in 15 African countries include: (i). Incumbency abuse of liberation dividend; (ii). Fortification and reliance of neopatrimonial systems; (iii). Manipulation and reliance on tyranny of majority both in parliament and ethnic populations; (iv). Ridding on popular demand of the leader as excuse for term extension; (v). Using skewed referendums to legitimize term extensions. The major findings of this study show the following factors as instrumental to failure of term limit extension by incumbents: (i). Strong citizens’ power prevailed against push for term extensions; (ii). Strong civil societies created awareness to expose abuse of power and unconstitutionalism of term limit extensions; (iii). Independent parliaments and judiciary stood up to the incumbency and defeated the push for term limit extensions. All African countries that were bottom ten in governance Ibrahim Index of Africa Governance score notoriously abolished, or extended presidential term limits.