On more than one occasion in Africa, political power in a republic has been transferred directly from father to son. There have also been a number of occasions where the leader or president of an African country is the son of a past president with only a few years or decades separating the father’s regime from the son’s time in office.
Political dynasties are not unique to Africa; history is replete with multiple instances from around the world where sons have gone on to be presidents, following the path of their fathers. America, which prides itself as a model for democracy for the rest of the world, has two examples of father-son Presidents: John Adams and his son John Q. Adams during the nation’s early years, and more recently, George Walker Bush and his father George H.W. Bush.
Here, Face2Face Africa takes a look at six instances in Africa where a son went on to ascend to political power after his father in a system of government that was not a monarchy.
