While Nigeria has made strides in its democratic development, the 2019 elections were a step backward for Africa’s most populous country and its biggest democracy. Historically low voter turnout signaled a deepening public distrust in Nigerian government and institutions. This public distrust, coupled with a history of electoral violence and intimidation, threatens to undermine the security and legitimacy of the democratic process—and may cause reverberating consequences for other emerging democracies in Africa.
4th Republic, a new Nigerian political thriller directed by Ishaya Bako, interrogates the systemic problems at the heart of Nigeria’s democratic practice. Following a fictional gubernatorial candidate who challenges the incumbent’s victory and investigates corruption allegations, the film explores the role of women in politics, the influence of patronage systems, the impacts of electoral intimidation, and the irregularity of the judicial system in Nigeria.
Watch the trailer here.
Speakers
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Kate Henshaw
Speaker
Kate Henshaw is a Nigerian actress and the winner of the 2008 Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
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Nancy Lindborg
Speaker
Nancy Lindborg is the president and chief executive of the U.S. Institute of Peace.
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L. Muthoni Wanyeki
Speaker
L. Muthoni Wanyeki is the executive director for Open Society–Africa.
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