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This article is based on a discourse of the political historiography of civil society. It explores the linkages between civil society and political theory from classical to modern times. Focusing on the liberal perspective, it analyses the two extremes of the paradigm vis a vis a political theory of civil society, especially the nexus between the individual and the community. This is followed by the analysis of the Marxist paradigm, and on-going debates on civil society in Africa, and the trends in Nigeria. In conclusion, it is noted that the critical issue in civil society and political theory is to further debate and theories the linkages between individual space and community space. (NJIA - Nigerian Inst Int Aff/DÜI)

Okechukwu Obinna Ibeanu, Research Professor (Development Studies), Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria. Email: oibeanu@yahoo.co.uk; ibeanu@hotmail.com

Development studies is a beneficiary of knowledge resources from several disciplines including political theory's analytic and prescriptive input. The dominant background of political theory and other disciplinary contributions to development studies is the liberal thought. Liberal theses on development seem to presume that development only makes meaning from such perspective. However, tensions arise in knowledge claims between the neoclassical liberals and alternative liberal scholars especially the neo-Keynesian on the one hand and more radical neo-Marxist thoughts on the other hand. The tension is centrally concerned with contention between the market sovereignty of the neoclassicals and state interventionism of the Keynesian and neo Marxist radical thoughts. These contentions draw in the role of the state in development and hence, create an opening for political theory's intervention. This paper establishes the nexus of political theory and development studies by focusing its subject matter, methodology and social commitments. The main claim of the work is that the dominant liberal ideas on development fail to capture the realities of all societies, yet the alternative frameworks, despite their promise, have yet to elaborate their tenets to capture the nuances of developing societies in Africa. Accordingly, the decisive intervention in defining the roles of both citizens and state for a development based on constructivist understanding of society is a necessary role of political theory in development studies. Resumo Os estudos de desenvolvimento são beneficiados pelos recursos de conhecimento de várias disciplinas, incluindo os inputs analíticos e prescritivos da teoria política. O pano de fundo dominante da teoria política e outras contribuições disciplinares aos estudos de desenvolvimento é o pensamento liberal. As teses liberais sobre desenvolvimento aparentam pressupor que o desenvolvimento apenas faz sentido a partir dessa perspetiva. No entanto, as tensões surgem sob a forma de procura de conhecimento entre os liberais neoclássicos e estudiosos liberais alternativos, especialmente o neokeynesiano, por um lado, e os pensamentos neo-marxistas mais radicais, por outro lado. A tensão está centralmente relacionada com a disputa entre a soberania de mercado dos neoclássicos e o intervencionismo estatal dos pensamentos radicais keynesianos e neo-marxistas. Estas disputas atraem o papel do Estado em desenvolvimento e, portanto, criam uma abertura para a intervenção da teoria política. Este artigo estabelece o nexo da teoria política e estudos de desenvolvimento ao focar-se na temática em questão, na metodologia e em compromissos sociais. A principal reivindicação do artigo é que as ideias liberais dominantes sobre o desenvolvimento falham em captar as realidades de todas as sociedades, ainda que as estruturas alternativas, apesar das suas promessas, ainda não tenham elaborado os seus princípios para capturar as nuances das sociedades em desenvolvimento em África. Consequentemente, a intervenção decisiva na definição dos papeis dos cidadãos e do Estado para um desenvolvimento baseado na compreensão construtivista da sociedade é um papel necessário da teoria política nos estudos de desenvolvimento.

This book examines the structures and processes of political decision-making and governance in Nigeria. Since Nigeria returned to elected government in 1999, it has been observed that several factors account for the differences between the design of statutory structures and processes of political decision-making and how they operate in reality. In other words, there are wide gaps between statutes and practice of political decision-making. However, the nexus between the two remains largely understudied by political scientists. Instinctively, political scientists assume that informal influences in political decision-making are aberrations, episodic or temporary. This book is designed to interrogate the nexus between the formal and non-formal dimensions of the dynamics of political decision making in Nigeria and also provide evidence about the actual functioning of governmental structures in Nigeria. The thesis of the book is that the non-formal dimension of political decision making as evidenced in rising ethno-political patronages, religious sentiments, clientelism and factionalism, are interacting with formal decision-making structures in ways that largely undermine the latter and, by extension, the democratic system. The book pursues this thesis by examining the roles of actors and institutions including, electoral choices made by voters, legislations, which perhaps is the most fundamental form of political decision-making, policies made by the executive and administration, as well as decision making within political parties, since parties are sites for articulating and aggregating issues on which decisions are to be made. Okechukwu Ibeanu is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Israel 'Kelue Okoye is a Professor of Political Science and the Bishop of the Diocese of Ihiala (Anglican Communion). Ikenna Mike Alumona is a Professor of Political Science at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State, Nigeria. Ernest Toochi Aniche is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

1 Introduction / Mohammad J. Kuna. - 2 The Federal Idea in Nigeria: From the Beginnings to 1946 / L. Adele Jinadu. - 3 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations in Nigeria: Trends and Lessons / Habu Galadima. - 4 Federal-State Relations in Nigerian Federalism / Warisu O. Alli. - 5 Fiscal Federalism and Government Performance in Nigeria / Victor A. Adetula. - 6 Federalism and Party Politics in Nigeria / Ufiem Maurice Ogbonnaya. - 7 Critical Elections and Federalism in Nigeria Since 1945: Trends and Challenges / Remi E. Aiyede. - 8 Federalism Jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Nigeria / Edoba B. Omoregie. - 9 Federalism and the Broadcast Media, 1914-2015 / Jideofor Adibe. - 10 Federalism and Foreign Policy in Nigeria Since Independence / Osita Agbu. - 11 Conclusion / Okechukwu Ibeanu