Democracy in Africa is at a crossroads. While many African countries celebrate decades of civilian rule, many others face the challenges of democratic regression and transition. This collection of essays honors Professor J. Shola Omotola, a distinguished African political scientist, by examining the state and dynamics of democracy and development in Africa. The volume explores the systemic, institutional, and procedural foundations of elections, democratization, and development, as well as socioeconomic, political, security, and external factors.

This book offers new perspectives on the relationship between democracy and development in Africa and explains the recent trend of democratic setbacks and military coups. Drawing on a variety of theoretical perspectives and rich empirical analyses by different scholars, it examines the role of elections in the dynamics of democratic convergence and divergence. 

Discussions cover electoral integrity, quality of governance, and the role of different institutions, addressing issues such as corruption, electoral fraud, leadership, gender and youth representation, external forces, fake news, poverty, food security, electoral violence, cybersecurity, armed conflicts, and peacebuilding. Finally, the book reflects on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for democracy and development in Africa. The volume will appeal to students, scholars, researchers in political science and related disciplines, and policymakers interested in a better understanding of democracy and development in Africa. 

Samuel Oyewole is a Research Fellow and Programme Coordinator for Research at the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS), University of Pretoria, South Africa, and a Lecturer at Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. His research focuses on IR, development and security studies. His work has been published in journals such as Astropolitics, African Security, and Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. He authored "Utilitarianism in Outer Space" (Springer, 2024) and co-edited several books, including "Power Politics in Africa" (Cambridge Scholar, 2020), "African Perspectives on Trump 2.0: United States Foreign Policy and the New World (Re)Order" (ESI Press, 2025), and "The Nigerian Military in Internal Security Operations" (Routledge, 2026).

Michael B. Aleyomi is an Associate Professor in International Relations, former Head of the Department of Political Science, and current Deputy Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, and a PhD from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Aleyomi's research focuses on environmental politics, foreign policy, African governance, and international organizations. His work has been published in journals like African Identities, Insights on Africa, and The Round Table. 

Gbeke Adenuga is a Senior Lecturer and former Head, Department of Political Science at Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Political Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a PhD in Political Science from Babcock University, Nigeria. He was Head of the Department of Political Science and Sub-Dean at Tai Solarin College of Education, Nigeria. Adenuga's research interests include soft power, diplomacy, democratic studies, and comparative politics. He has published in numerous local and international journals, inclusing World Affairs, African Security Review, and South African Review of Sociology, and contributed to several edited books.