Author Description

This Festschrift celebrates the life of the late Nigerian political scientist, Oyeleye Oyediran, a highly-respected scholar, who skilfully combined theory with praxis in the quest for Nigerian democracy. The essays in this volume are written by his former students, colleagues and associates, including foremost thinkers and analysts, reflecting on his contributions to scholarship, the theory, histories, dynamics, institutions, processes and trends in politics, democracy, development and peace in Nigeria and Africa. These contributions address diverse themes, case studies and trends, ranging from the struggles for democracy and freedom, to the travails of federalism, the quest for accountability and inclusive governance and development, and analyses of regional and African frameworks and mechanisms for peace and security in a rapidly changing continental and global context. The essays in this volume eloquently bear testimony to the enduring nature of the issues that Oyediran's scholarship engaged with, but also go beyond these to succinctly capture the emerging challenges and prospects for democracy and peace in Africa.