Unfreedom to Transformation: Digital Democracy as the New Frontier of Africa’s Political Cosmos

What is it about?

The article argues in support of digital democracy as the new and next frontier of African political cosmos. Given the affordances of mediated digital technologies like mobile phones, internet and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, the chapter chronicles several layers of political transformation in Africa, signposting key and strategic digital technologically induced events that have remarkably transformed the African political cosmos and its contested politics. It likewise provides empirical instances where these transformation has increased the despondency of African leaders associated with African leaders in relation to digital democracy. The chapter submits that research on African political transformation should therefore go beyond Schmitter & Karl's (1991) concept of electoralism and competitive interest maximation as the benchmark democratic change in Africa.

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