Renewed Authoritarianism as West Africa’s Hybrid Regime: The Politics of Presidential Term Limits

Abstract

This article aims to address two pivotal questions concerning the political regimes in West Africa. The first question explores the factors contributing to the emergence of hybrid political regimes in the region. The second seeks to identify the specific type of hybrid regime that best explains the prevailing political dynamics in West Africa. The initial hypothesis posits that those two interrelated challenges—namely, the contentious pursuit of third-term mandates by executive leaders and the persistent absence of effective checks and balances—serve as key justifications for military coups. These coups, in turn, continue to be perceived as viable solutions to political crises within the region. The second hypothesis suggests that the most appropriate framework for understanding the West African context is the model of “Renewed Authoritarianism.” This model is characterized by: (1) the exploitation of electoral majoritarianism to legitimize the extension of presidential terms beyond constitutional limits, and (2) the erosion of civil liberty protections, which leads to the weakening or absence of institutional oversight mechanisms. These two vulnerabilities are mutually reinforcing, creating a cycle in which coups are repeatedly employed as instruments to break the deadlock. This pattern has become increasingly prominent in the region since the onset of the 21st century.