Indonesian Journal of Political Studies

China-Nigeria Relations and its Impact on Nigeria’s Democratic Stability in the 4th Republic- 2015-2025

Etegbiku Glory Bedekenana, Lazarus Etemike — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

China–Nigeria relations have expanded significantly between 2015 and 2025, with important implications for Nigeria’s democratic stability in the Fourth Republic. This study examines the political, economic, and governance dimensions of the partnership, focusing on how Chinese investments and strategic engagements have shaped Nigeria’s democratic processes. China’s involvement is most visible in infrastructure, trade, digital technology, and security cooperation, presenting an alternative to Western aid that typically carries political conditions. While these engagements help address infrastructure deficits and stimulate economic growth, they also raise concerns about governance transparency, accountability, and civil liberties. Risks include opaque loan agreements, elite capture of Chinese-funded projects, and the spread of digital surveillance technologies that may reinforce authoritarian practices. The research further shows how Nigerian elites exploit Chinese partnerships as political capital, showcasing infrastructure projects to consolidate legitimacy during elections. Overall, the findings suggest that China–Nigeria relations create both opportunities for economic transformation and challenges for democratic governance, with Nigeria’s long-term stability hinging on balancing cooperation benefits with institutional safeguards.

Space, Power, and The Politics of Fixity: A Critique of The Nile and Indian Ocean as Transboundary Categories

Junior Brian Musenze — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The conceptual categories of the Nile River and the Indian Ocean have historically been treated as timeless, fixed geographical truths. This rarely contested assumption stems from mainstream historiography, which privileges written records and is essentially Western in its orientation. This dominant narrative typically traces the Nile from a singular point, such as Egypt, and similarly provincializes India in the Indian Ocean discourse, effectively silencing indigenous African actors in the interoceanic space. This article argues that such historiography, which attempts to provincialize specific geographical categories and impose a hegemonic Western power structure upon them, is insufficient for explaining the complex dynamics of space and power prior to Western hegemony. Despite the apparent fixity of these two aquatic spaces, they contain alternative, suppressed, or denied definitions that persist through the epistemological protest of oral literacy and tradition. By conceptualizing space before Western hegemony, this study offers an alternative framework for understanding issues of identity that are often narrowly defined by the modern state

Young People and the Shadow of Populism: Reconsidering Democracy and Political Transformation in Indonesia

Alif Hasugian — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the role of youth within the contemporary political landscape marked by populism. Populism is a form of politics that emphasizes the antagonism between the 'people' versus the 'elite'. As the group most actively supportive of democracy, youth can either reproduce or resist populist narratives. Employing a descriptive qualitative method based on literature review and critical discourse analysis, this study demonstrates that youth play an ambivalent role. On the one hand, populism opens up space for political participation and the expression of generational idealism; on the other hand, it has the potential to deepen identity polarization and weaken the quality of democracy. The author argues that the sustainability of Indonesian democracy is highly dependent on the direction of youth's political idealism whether it is channeled towards an inclusive discourse or becomes trapped in exclusive antagonism.

Rational Choice Analysis and Political Party Switching in Nigerian Politics: Beyound Ideological Allegiance

Harriet Omokiniovo Efanodor-Obeten, Mohammed Lawal Itakpe — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study examines the role of Rational Choice Theory (RCT) in understanding the frequent party switching among Nigerian politicians. It explores the motivations behind these defections, assesses their impact on political stability, governance, and democratic consolidation, and identifies policy recommendations for strengthening political party structures and reducing opportunistic defections. Relying on secondary sources of information and using RCT as a theoretical framework, the study argues that Nigerian politicians often engage in defections based on calculated self-interest, seeking electoral advantage, financial benefits, and political survival rather than ideological realignment. The study further reveals that frequent party defections have contributed to political instability, weakened governance, and slowed democratic development by fostering policy inconsistency, undermining institutional trust, and encouraging voter apathy. To address these challenges, the study proposes policy reforms, including stricter enforcement of anti-defection laws, internal party democracy, ideological reorientation, financial regulation of party politics, and enhanced civic education. The findings highlight the need for systemic reforms to promote a more stable, ideology-driven political system that enhances democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

The Marian Apparition and Christian Arduous Hope Amid Political Repression: The Case of Our Lady of La Vang in Eighteenth-Century Vietnam

Bien Van Duong — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article sheds new light on the multifaceted dimensions of hope experienced by Vietnamese Christians who reportedly witnessed a Marian apparition at the La Vang site in the context of eighteenth-century Vietnam’s political turmoil. Through examining the signs of hope in the case of the alleged Marian apparition at La Vang, the study reinforces Thomas Aquinas’s idea of hope as an arduous journey—difficult but possible to attain—in helping Christians cope with trauma under political repression. The first section outlines the research approach, combining historical-political and philosophical perspectives. The second section situates the presumed Marian apparition at La Vang within its historical framework, highlighting the socio-political context of the time. The third section explores the messages of hope conveyed through the alleged apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at La Vang. Finally, using the case of Our Lady of La Vang, the article concludes by affirming the significant role of religious faith in comforting believers amid political catastrophe.

Fossil Fuel Refinery Resuscitation Policy and the Implications for the Clean Energy Transition Plan in Nigeria

Rotimi Adeforiti — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Nigerian government’s planned resuscitation of fossil fuel refineries is expected to impact the country’s clean energy transition plan by influencing public acceptance of that policy. It remains unclear how the government will bridge this gap between fossil fuel revival and clean energy commitments. This study examines the drivers behind Nigeria’s refinery resuscitation policy and the policy’s implications for the nation’s clean energy transition. The analysis is grounded in Choice Theory, operating on the premise that behavior (including policy decisions) originates from within and is driven by attempts to satisfy basic needs, meaning policymakers choose their actions based on those needs[1]. The research method is a semi-systematic review (SSR), for which 20 peer-reviewed journal articles (published 2015–2024) were purposively selected. The findings indicate that several factors sustaining fossil fuel use globally are encouraging Nigeria’s refinery revival. These factors include the persistent international market demand for fossil fuels, the perceived non-substitutability of fossil fuels in economic and military contexts, supportive government policies, and the state’s failure to secure sufficient clean energy investment. Reviving refineries implies a continued supply of and demand for fossil fuels as primary energy sources in the near term. The study concludes that each country should contextualize its energy transition strategy according to its unique circumstances.

Digital Political Stage: An Analysis of the Hyperreality of Prabowo–Gibran’s Social Media Gimmick Campaign in the 2024 Election

Moh. Adil Saputro, Ajeng Widya Prakasita, M. Basuki Rahmat, Vany Fitria — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Digital platforms have transformed political campaign models and created spaces where the boundaries between reality and illusion become blurred. This study analyzes the social media gimmick strategy used by the Prabowo-Gibran pair in the 2024 election, highlighting how the gimmick is not only a tool of political communication, but also builds hyperreality. Using the theoretical framework of simulacra and simulation from Jean Baudrillard, this study reveals how political communication strategies through gimmicks on social media can build a hyperreal image, where campaign elements become more "real" than actual political reality. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to analyze the data obtained from the publication of PT Indonesia Indicator using content analysis. The results of this study show that political gimmicks are not just a strategy to attract the attention of voters, but have developed into a hegemonic instrument that forms a new reality that is independent of the real reality. In this context, democracy faces serious challenges, when political representation relies more on visual appeal and social media narratives, then political substance can be displaced by pseudo-illusions designed to drive and control public opinion.