Nigeria, March 30 -- As Africa approached the turn of the Millennium, the leaders of the continent were well on the way to reaching a consensus that "democracy, good governance, respect for human and peoples' rights and the rule of law are prerequisites for the security, stability and development of the Continent."

To many, this meant the conduct of elections. Indeed, two decades later, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights would affirm that the only legitimate basis for the exercise of political power on the continent is "regular conduct of free and transparent elections . through universal suffrage."

Around the same time, the leadership of the continent in the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was grappling with the meaning...