When social movement legacies become political capitals: Exploring an African dimension to social movements-elections interrelations.

Existing literature has so far demonstrated the reinforcing effects of social movements (SMs) on elections, SMs’ ability to alter political party agendas, and mechanics of alliance formation between SMs and political parties. In addition are studies that explore how political parties emerge from issue-based grassroot movements. These are underscored through concepts such as ‘movement parties’ and ‘social movement partyism’. Whilst these findings indicate plausible interrelations between SMs and political parties, further research have yet to interrogate the significance of certain SM outcomes, either as gains or losses, for political actors, particularly during election cycles – from campaigns to turnout and voting, outcome and aftermath. On the backdrop of the assumption that SMs do not entirely win or lose is this study’s contention that packages of outcomes that are exploitable by political actors could be produced. These include gains such as new communication forms, discourses, networks, and mobilisation techniques, or losses such as damaged reputations, negative narratives, and police reinforcements and repression. Of what political significance are these outcomes? (How) do political parties, civil society organisations and publics mobilise them as electoral capitals?

These questions are yet underexplored in western literature and arguably unanswered in the African context. The rhythms of exchanges between actors during Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests and the 2023 general elections provide interesting cases through which this study explores the above questions. This study will draw on in-depth interviews and art-based materials (protest and election placard/poster inscriptions, slang, political-satire, and gyration music) to explore how electorally relevant SM outcomes are produced, contested through discursive constructions and networks, or appropriated for political expediencies. This study will contribute an African dimension to theorising SM-elections interrelations. It will also uncover new socio-political underpinnings of global challenges manifesting as democratic backsliding, political apathy and negative politics in Africa.