Abstract

This chapter examines the trajectory of presidential monarchism as a common phenomenon in postcolonial Africa. Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state posing as presidents. Presidential monarchism conveys the notion of ‘life presidents,’ who are indeed ‘disguised monarchs’ without limited tenures of office. This phenomenon developed in postcolonial Africa under distinct historical phases, which have not been clearly discerned, and historicised in extant scholarship. This chapter sets out to address this largely understudied sphere in the scholarship of Africa’s constitutional history. The methodology deployed is essentially qualitative, and the author exploited extant documentary sources, including online newspapers. This study revealed that the first 3 decades after African independence witnessed the development of presidential monarchism, with over 25 African presidents reigning for 20 years and above with all powers concentrated in their hands. In 1990, presidential monarchism was seriously shaken to its foundations by the global third democratic wave that blew over Africa and the introduction of constitutional term limits that restricted the ability of African leaders to stay in office beyond two terms. Nonetheless, presidential monarchism persisted in the post-1990 period after the scrapping or circumvention of the term-limit clauses. It metamorphosed into ultra-presidential monarchism in the shape of presidential dynasties, as a disturbing retrogressive development. However, an overall decline in presidential monarchism occurred as most African states adopted presidential fixed term limits, which was a positive sign.