This much he can do to place himself at the disposal of the democracy forces whose strength he has felt through experience. Thus Nigeria's fourth republic must be a transition to a Populist republic of Nigeria. Populist democracy cannot be built without the shift from elite to mass orientated politics. And only masses organised can make demands upon candidates they elect and support. Only mass based political parties can defend the constitution against the military.
Military rule is thus only the public fruit of despotic government structures.
The military did not invent despotism. This was the origin of minority demand for region or state of their own. This is how Gowon's 12 states became Abacha's 36 states. All of these proliferation of governmental structure had and have their origin in the nature of government in Nigeria. It is government as presently constituted that is the opportunity for despotic governance because it is government equipped with the state as one of its departments and the economy as its instruments of administration.